December 10, 2007
Illuminating the Crystal Skull

It’s probably a good time to use the occasion of the “revelation” of the movie poster for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull to “reveal” what some already know: I have completed two articles, one on the true origins of the Mitchell-Hedges skull, and the other on the likely use of the stone; both articles will be published around the time of the release of the movie, May 22, 2008. One of the articles is nothing short of sensational, and I specifically need to thank those closest to this particular crystal skull for choosing me to write out this account.
Interestingly, the new Indiana Jones movie will be set in 1957, two years before “Mike” Mitchell-Hedges died. Indy’s voyage somewhat resembles Mike’s, taking in New Mexico, Connecticut, Mexico City and the jungles of Peru. And as incredible as it may seem, whereas Indy is racing for the crystal skull against operatives from the Soviet Union, shortly after Mike “discovered” the crystal skull, he was racing after Soviet operatives, including Leon Trotsky, whom he personally knew.
The film’s co-producer Frank Marshall has said that “the theory is [that the crystal skulls] are shaped by higher powers or alien powers or came from another world, or an ancient Mayan civilization had the powers”, and the second article will indeed quite convincingly show that one of these theories is correct. For those who can’t wait, remember that patience is a virtue.

December 4, 2007
Pyramid Recognition

"The New Pyramid Age” devotes ample attention to one of Europe’s few and most enigmatic pyramids: the pyramid of Falicon, situated above a small village near the French town of Nice. Several authors (including Maurice Chatelain) wrote on this small pyramid, but after the death of French journalist Daniel Réju, little was done, until André Douzet and I, via France Secret and our magazine “Les Carnets Secrets”, decided the structure was in need of renewed attention.
This proved to be a contributing factor in the recent inscription of the pyramid as a “Historic Monument” by the French authorities, accompanied by a ceremony I unfortunately could not attend, but which was attended by André Douzet. This official recognition is the culmination of decades of work, including the most recent, three year long campaign by people from the region itself, to have the site validated after French authorities had always neglected to pay any attention to it. Instead, they were often more than quick to argue that it was the folly constructed by a local in the 19th century. This conclusion was contradicted by at least two pieces of evidence, which showed the structure predated that century. These were documents in the possession of Daniel Réju, but about which archaeologists were doubtful they existed… because they didn’t have them in their possession. Apparently, archaeologists are somehow incapable of asking people whether documents could be photocopied, so they can then study them.
Despite the official recognition, the official standpoint remains that the construction dates from 1803 and was the work of one Domenico Rossetti, who built the pyramid over a natural cavity, this to warn the visitors of the presence of a cavity below, and apparently an outcome of the “Napoleon-mania”, after the French leader who had conquered Egypt. But, at least, the official recognition as a Historic Monument means that from now on, the site will be protected and will hopefully not be further destroyed, as has been the case in past decades.
The official ceremony was accompanied by an exposition on the pyramid in the centre of Falicon, whereby the cover of Les Carnets Secrets was one of the illustrations there to illuminate the visitors. André Douzet also offered the local archaeologists the opportunity to receive the documents that were formerly in Réju’s possession, so that a more correct date for the monument can be established than the official date currently in vogue.

December 1, 2007
The Last Cathar and the First Champagne

Fate favours… the traveller? Last week, during my usual three times a year trip to Southern France, fate fated me to have lunch in the immediate shadow (less than 10 yards!) from the rocky outcrop where the last Cathar, Guilhem Bélibaste, was burnt – and no, we did not do a barbeque for lunch. Outside of France, it is less known that Catharism continued after the Fall of Montsegur in 1244. In fact, some of the most colourful perfects, the name given to the Cathar priests, such as Pierre Autier and Philippe d’Alayrac – and Bélibaste – postdate Montsegur. Bélibaste even survived the fall of the Templars, being burned in Villerouge-Termenès in 1321. His death is often seen as the end of the Occitan Cathar Church, the religion only surviving in Bosnia, where in the 15th century, adherents largely converted to Islam.
Bélibaste and co. travelled in the region that is now most famously known as that of Rennes-le-Château. Equally little known is that this region is the veritable home of the champagne – whose name, of course, is linked with the Champagne region elsewhere in France. North of Rennes-le-Château is the tranquil village of St Hilaire, near Limoux, the cradle of the “Blanquette de Limoux”, a sparkling wine that is very much like champagne. Indeed, it is said that Dom Perignon came here, learned the rather alchemical process of its making, then decided to change the grape and add sugar, and the champagne was made. Recently, one winemaker of St Hilaire has nevertheless had the sparkling idea to recreate the original recipe, resulting in a “blanquette” that has only six percent of alcohol, but which is a veritable joy to the taste buds. On my way home, the baggage handling system of Perpignan airport tried to kill my suitcase – succeeding – but failing to harm the bottle of the special edition inside. Fate…

November 12, 2007
Showered with applause

On Saturday, November 10, we had the largest Frontier Symposium ever – a capacity audience of 600 people, with sessions in two break-out rooms (100 and 50 seats each), this amidst an autumn storm tormenting Amsterdam. It is now one of the biggest conferences of its kind in the world.
In recent years, the event in the Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky has also become a Hegge-Coppens family gathering, and this year was no exception. “Kras” has been a second home to Frontier since its inception and this year felt extra special, as it also plays a supporting role in Karl Hammer-Kaatee’s “Satan’s Song”, one of the nominees for this year’s Frontier Award.
One mission statement of Frontier was always to provide a platform for Dutch researchers from which they can launch towards an international audience. In the run-up to the conference, there were the news reports how Wouter Bijendijk, a Dutch magician whose stage name is Ramana, was wowing passers-by by seeming to float in mid-air in front of the White House – a feat he had performed at the 2005 opening of the Frontier Bookshop and Frontier Symposium 2005.
We had, as is becoming the norm, a long list of Dutch celebrities who lectured on the day, including space scientist Piet Smolders, politician Emile Ratelband and rapper Lange Frans, supported by this year’s selection of the crème de la crème of Dutch and Belgian “frontier sciences” speakers. On the day itself, the 2007 Frontier Award went to Ronald Jan Heijn for his “Staya Erusa” DVD production, featuring Uri Geller. In his acceptance speech, Heijn underlined a message dear to my heart too, which is that science desperately needs to begin to seriously explore death.

October 28, 2007
Darklore

I am honoured to have been invited to write for the first volume of Darklore, an initiative of Greg Taylor’s Daily Grail. An adapted version of my article on the Hellfire Club is one of 18 essays that make up a total of 304 pages. Some of the other essays are by Nick Redfern, Loren Coleman, Michael Prescott, Picknett and Prince, Michael Grosso, etc.
The hardcover edition is available in 66 copies only, at $US39.95 or £19.99. The paperback edition is $US13.95 or £8.99. To order, go to my Store.

October 24, 2007
Back Up from Down Under

I have just returned from a most enjoyable week on Australia’s Sunshine Coast, just north of Brisbane, where I was a presenter at the Nexus Conference 2007. Based in the beautiful Twin Waters Resort, the conference was a great opportunity to meet up with some of the “locals”, such as Greg Taylor of The Daily Grail, as well as those Nexus team members who hadn’t made it to Europe in the past. Amongst those that came to speak were Harry Oldfield (of which more soon) and the almost legendary Bruce Cathie. The real star of the show, though, seemed to be Grace!
For those who failed to attend, you can read the lectures online here. Not only does Australia dominate most sports they tackle, it is also clear that Aussie minds are very much wired in and switched on too – making it ever so more enjoyable for any speaker.

October 6, 2007
Oh Cult the Personality

In case you aren’t tired yet of hearing me and my opinions, head over to “Occultofpersonality”, where I am described as “one of the world’s foremost esoteric researchers”! I greatly enjoyed this interview, as the line of questioning was insightful and well-prepared, and I think the answers were therefore quite interesting too. Greg and I talked about how it all started and the many subjects I’ve covered since, including the Knights Templar, Rennes-le-Château, and some of the research from my latest book, “The New Pyramid Age.”

October 1, 2007
Veni, vidi, Wiki

Another issue of Nexus (October-November 2007), another article in Nexus, this time “The Truth and Lies of Wikiworld”.
Wikipedia has become a powerful reference work for many doing “online research”, but like real life, Wikiworld, comes with it dangers, traps… and disinformation. To quote from Duncan Roads’ Editorial: “Almost anyone can insert or edit the information in this super ‘encyberpedia’ – rendering it vulnerable to manipulation for propaganda and misinformation. Recently, a breakthrough piece of software, WikiScanner, has allowed us to identify who is changing what. Philip Coppens’ article reveals the usual suspects, i.e., government departments, big business and organised religion.” For an interview with Radio Nexus on the subject, go here.

September 29, 2007
Ghost Appearance

For those of you who want to hear more information on “The New Pyramid Age”, as well as sneak previews from the Crop Circles lecture coming to Australia’s Sunshine coast soon… and various other topics tackled on this site, head over to Ghost Radio Australia: “The First and Original 24/7 Internet Radio Station Dedicated to the Paranormal!”, where the interview was hosted by Lia Ramses. Go here for a live streaming, and here for an MP3/download format.

September 21, 2007
Egyptian archaeologists support Bosnian Pyramids

A week after my departure from Sarajevo, a team of Egyptian archaeologists arrived on site for a detailed inspection of the work carried out so far. At a press conference on September 3, Dr. Pr. Nabil Mohamed Abdel Swelim stated that “the Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun is the largest pyramid ever witnessed; it is an amazing structure of a great importance for the entire world.” Swelim is the holder of three PhDs in archaeology and Egyptology and discovered four pyramids in Egypt.
He echoed my observations, that “this is an amazing discovery and it is going to take us a lot of time to figure all this out, meaning how these fascinating structures were built.” Accompanying Swelin are Pr. Dr. Mona Fouad Aly, the Chair of the Restoration Department, Archaeological University, Cairo and her colleague, professor/Dr. Suleiman Hamed El Haweli, an expert on Pharaonic Period Egypt at Archaeological University, Cairo and Dr. of Geology Aly Barakat, who works at the Mineralogy Resource Institute in Cairo, and who spent a considerable amount of time on site last year. ”Everything that we have seen so far tells us that human hands built these structures a long time ago. Of course, a lot more research is needed, including laboratory analyses in order to conclude how these structures were made, and most importantly, we need to know their purpose; why they were built, and who built them. I took a variety of samples from the locations in question which will be analyzed in our labs in Cairo, and the Foundation will be given our results," Pr. Fouad stated.
"We came here with many doubts, but after seeing everything, there is no more room for any doubts,” concluded Dr. Swelim. Professor/Dr. El Haveli stated that the pyramids of the Moon and Sun partially originated by the work of nature and were later modified by human hands.

September 13, 2007
China’s Terracotta Army invades the British Museum

The British Museum has opened one of its grandest exhibits in several decades; “The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army” explores one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century, giving an insight into China’s First Emperor, Qin Shihuangdi, and his legacy. The exhibition will run until April 6, 2008.
“The exhibition includes a number of the world-famous terracotta warriors from Xi'an, China, which were buried alongside the First Emperor in readiness for the afterlife, as well as some of the most striking recent discoveries made on the site. In introducing the idea of a unified state and effectively creating China in 221 BC, the First Emperor of Qin created what is today the oldest surviving political entity in the world.”
By sheer coincidence, the exhibit roughly coincides with the launch of my book “The New Pyramid Age” and an article on the Chinese pyramid controversy in the September-October edition of New Dawn Magazine. Both book and article add a dimension to the terracotta army that is sadly lacking from all the “British Museum” coverage, namely that the army was part of a pyramid landscape, largely on par with the building of the Gizeh complex, not so much pyramid size-wise, but through the production of the terracotta army, which is believed to have required a workforce of 700,000 people. The silence about the Chinese pyramids seems to continue in certain quarters.

September 5, 2007
The death of Ufology? Long live UFOgate!

In the UFOgate section of this site, I’ve discussed the Bennewitz affair, as well as Jacques Vallee’s take on Hynek’s “oversights” when it came to evidence that the US government was using the UFO phenomenon to spread disinformation – the main thesis of UFOgate, which even suggests that the phenomenon may have been purposefully created to create a smokescreen to hide non-extraterrestrial activities behind.
Now, UFO researcher Greg Bishop, has stated that one of the stars of the UFO firmament, Dr. Allen Hynek, played a key role in the government disinformation campaign against Bennewitz. Previsouly, the campaign was identified as being the work of AFOSI agent Richard Doty and associates, mainly using UFO researcher William Moore, the man who had previously popularised the Roswell crash story.
To quote Bishop: “Bill Moore claims that he met up with Dr. Hynek at the 1982 MUFON convention, and over a couple of beers at a nearby bar, Hynek admitted that he was the one who had been assigned to give the bogus computer setup to Bennewitz. He also said that it was one of the last tasks he was asked to perform for the Air Force.” The “one of the last tasks” suggests that Hynek did previous jobs for the Air Force of a similar nature – posing the question how far down the rabbit hole of disinformation Hynek went.
Bishop added: “If true, this throws a new light on the sort of dealings that some major ufologists may go through in order to keep a line of communication (however tainted) open to authorities who can push the right buttons and make the right calls when they are needed.” I would argue that one needs to see this incident for what it could potentially be – and in my opinion is: that Hynek, one of the top UFOlogists purposefully deceived the field and the world as a whole, promoting the UFO hoax intentionally – and that this is why he was not at all interested in what Vallee had uncovered. And hence, Hynek’s name should be added to a list that already includes Moore and Maccabbee – three of the most noted UFO researchers of their time.

Bishop’s revelation does not come alone. At the 2007 MUFON Conference, Brad Sparks discussed the infamous Majestic/MJ-12 documents, arguing if not proving that they are a hoax. Though UFOgate has said as much, Sparks has confirmed that MJ-12 was the creation of Bill Moore, Richard Doty, and former National Enquirer UFO reporter Bob Pratt.
Using information from Pratt’s personal notes and substantiating those with interviews, Sparks and Barry Greenwood have concluded that MJ-12 is a hoax. But more importantly, Sparks argues that in his opinion, it was a sanctioned disinformation campaign by AFOSI, with Moore and Shandera as willing participants.
UFO researcher Kevin Randle commented on this revelation: “disinformation implies that it was an official operation of some kind and in this case the overseeing agency is AFOSI, at least to Spark’s way of thinking. I’m not sure it was a sanctioned mission and it might have been more of Doty seeing a gravy train and leaping aboard with his buddy Bill Moore than it was any kind of planned AFOSI operation. At this point, it really doesn’t matter because in either case, the conclusion of hoax is the important one. Government disinformation or opportunism by Doty and Moore makes no difference in the end.” Again, I would argue to be bolder, and more logical: if a government agency creates a hoax, the primary thought should be that this government agency is doing this intentionally, rather than assume that perhaps a government agent is going to do some freelancing and receive extra income, or attention, by helping to write fake documents, which will bring that government agency – and others – into a major controversy… and somehow being able to escape all sanction, despite major television series made and named after your hoaxed material!
The two incidents, occurring within a few weeks of each other, have destroyed some of the pillars of UFO research and it will be interesting to see whether, how – and specifically who – will keep the myth alive.

September 3, 2007
V for Velikovsky

Over the past weekend, a conference was held in the heart of academia, the English university town of Cambridge, devoted to the question of Velikovsky and “cosmic catastrophes”. More than half a century after Velikovsky’s bestselling books set the halls of academia alight with insults directed at the man, the question seemed to be whether anyone has been able to prove Velikovsky was right, or wrong.
In short, the answer seems to be no-one is nearer in proving Velikovsky right – though science is beginning to accept Earth has been shaken and shattered by catastrophes, they are dated much older (millions of years) rather than the few thousand years Velikovsky proposed. That, in itself, is a major evolution, though not specific to Velikovsky.
Specifically, Velikovsky’s critics have argued against his attempt to identify the old deities with the planets, and to argue for a literal interpretation of these myths. At the conference, few seemed brave enough or willing to tackle this subject, though some, like Peter Warlow, and to some extent Wallace Thornhill, at least proposed a model in which Velikovskian planetary disasters could occur. Warlow also underlined that though science now accepts ice ages, tectonic shifts and pole reversals, it remains unable to answer how precisely they occur, adding that his own model, inspired by Velikovsky, proposed for a rapid pole reversal (days as compared to thousands of years), which science is now coming to accept as possible, after years of arguing against such sudden reversals.
In the history of the 20th century “alternative history”, Velikovsky is right there with Erich von Däniken. The latter posed uncomfortable questions, which, in the case of e.g. the Nazca lines, forced scientists to take note and come up with a solid explanation. Even though it turned out the Nazca lines was not an alien airport terminal, von Däniken’s emphasis on Nazca and so many other sites, forced the halls of academia to go out and answer the questions. Velikovsky, writing almost thirty years before, does not seem to have had the same effect on the academic circles – and it seems that few will be able to push – in fact, a consensus amongst the speakers seemed to be to try to push catastrophic history forward without mentioning the V word. S for silence.

August 24, 2007
The New Pyramid Age has appeared

Today sees the publication of “The New Pyramid Age”, my second book released this year. The first, “Land of the Gods”, was originally scheduled for release in 2004, but I changed publishers. It received a new publication date of late 2006, but various delays have meant that both books have now almost come out at the same time. Lest anyone thinks I can write two books at the same time: unfortunately not.
The release of the book has seen, since early August, a series of articles on this site, with material that did not make it into the book. Expect to see some more material in the near future in a series of publications, for example one in the September-October edition of New Dawn (Issue No. 104), featuring The Chinese Pyramids.
As I reported earlier, I am greatly pleased with the publication of this book and its conclusions and feel it has made a valuable contribution to the pyramid debate, one which both sides will hopefully be able to appreciate, if not embrace.
Two lectures on the subject are scheduled for October, one in London and one at the Nexus Conference in Australia. So perhaps see you then!

August 20, 2007
A pyramid of delight

I have just returned from four days in Bosnia-Herzegovina, to see first-hand the work that has been carried out on the various sites in the “Bosnian Valley of the Pyramids” during the first two years of excavation. I would like to thank the Foundation as a whole, and Nadir and Maria in specific, for a wonderful, interesting and enjoyable time in and near Visoko.
The “Bosnian Valley of the Pyramids” offers a unique insight in one of the most controversial archaeological sites and discoveries currently in progress. The Foundation has made it possible that tourists and visitors can see what has been and is being accomplished, while at the same time allowing proper archaeological methods to be followed. For any enthusiast of history, Visoko offers an easily accessible gateway into the past – and our quest to understand it.

July 30, 2007
Archaeological trench warfare

Nexus has published “Archaeological Trench Warfare”, an article on Glozel that focuses more heavily on the political agendas that featured in one of the most famous “incidents” in the history of archaeology than the other article that is online on this site. I will no doubt not receive too many new friends from within the world of archaeology with this publication, but it underlines the reality of the archaeological work and some of the going-ons, that are typical of then, today, and no doubt the future.

July 8, 2007
Something old, something new, something of the future

The votes are in: the new seven wonders of the world have been voted for. The only surviving wonder of the ancient world, the Great Pyramid, was made exempt from the competition after complaints from Egyptian authorities. Rather than give it special treatment, the organisers, in what may not have been the smartest of moves, decided to exclude it from the competition. The new wonders are: Chichen Itza; Macchu Picchu; The Taj Mahal; Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer; China’s Great Wall; Petra and the Roman Colloseum. Five of these seem or have proven to be fit for survival; let’s hope they will all withstand the test of time.
As with anything new, there are always newer things planned. Lewis Pollock contacted us, detailing his project of “The Colossus of London”. Also known as “The Spirit of Man”, this sculpture-building is partly based on “The Wicker Man” and other ancient monuments. Pollock hopes that London will find both a venue and an interest for making this into London’s signature building.

June 26, 2007
Nebra Disc in ring fight again

In “Land of the Gods”, the Nebra disc is discussed shortly, as evidence of our megalithic ancestors’ usage of astronomy. As if on cue, archaeologists have now revived the debate over whether this Bronze Age disc from Germany is one of the earliest known calendars.
The Nebra disc is emblazoned with symbols of the Sun, Moon and stars and said by some to be 3,600 years old. Writing in the journal “Antiquity”, Emilia Pasztor of the Matrica Museum in Hungary and Curt Roslund of Gothenburg University in Sweden, they challenge the possibility that the 32cm-wide disc could have been used as a precise calendrical device. Two golden arcs on the outside of the disc may show how far the sunrise and sunset move along the horizon between winter and summer solstices. The arcs are 82.5 degrees long, which is the angle the Sun is seen to travel between the high mid-summer sunset and the low mid-winter sunset.
The precise angle varies from place to place, but Professor Wolfhard Schlosser, from the University of Bochum, in Germany, has pointed out that 82 degrees corresponds to the journey of the sun at the specific latitude in Nebra. As such, it could have been used as a calendrical tool by Bronze Age Europeans.
In Antiquity, Pasztor and Roslund suggest that if the goldsmith intended to produce an accurate chart of the sky, he would have not have ignored the conspicuous nearby constellation of Orion, and the square of Pegasus to the right. Instead, they argue that rather than a calendrical device, the disc was used in a shamanic ritual – obviously involving a stellar cult, seeing the disc depicts objects in the sky.
But others are not convinced by the new report, stating that the disc could have been used to harmonise the lunar and solar calendars. Ralph Hansen from the University of Hamburg, found a calculation rule in ancient Babylonian texts that said that a thirteenth month should be added to the lunar calendar when one sees the moon in exactly the arrangement that appears on the Nebra disc. In addition, the number of stars on the disc is 32, along with the Moon, that makes 33 objects in total. Intriguingly, 33 Moon years are equivalent to 32 Sun years. And hence the debate continues.

June 17, 2007
Did you hear it on the radio?

Together with Andy Gough & Corjan de Raaf, I have launched a new initiative: Radio RenneSSence. The internet “radio station” is devoted to the mystery of Rennes-le-Château and is brought to you under the collaborative effort that is Rennessence – a name I once thought up as a section heading for a French magazine and which Corjan independently coined later as well; spooky, or what?
The first incarnation of this co-operation was the RSS newsfeed, which since its humble beginnings, is now being used by an ever larger number of sites.
With the interview section, we hope to bring a new dimension to the mystery, offering you interviews with some of the leading, new or less-known authors and researchers, as well as any other news we, or our hopefully growing team of “roving reporters”, are able to track down. The first guest is Patrice Chaplin, arguing that according to her sources, the enigmatic priest of Rennes-le-Château, Bérenger Saunière, went to the Spanish town of Girona to track down rituals, involving the Grail and “the Manifestation of the Messiah”!

May 19, 2007
The premiere of the Rosslyn Motet

Yesterday evening, I attended the “world premiere” of the Rosslyn Motet, a piece of music decoded by “the Mitchell Dynasty” – Thomas and Stuart. Performed within the settings of Rosslyn Chapel, with instruments conforming to the 15th century, the ensemble performed the musical piece that Thomas and Stuart Mitchell believe to have decoded from the so-called “musical cubes”. These cubes are part of the decoration of the ceiling of the Lady Chapel and could thus be seen as “The Rosslyn Code”.
Ten years ago, when I first visited the chapel, the meaning of the cubes and the possibility that they were a musical code was pushed by the late Stephen Pryor. Stephen tried to gather interest in this bold theory, but this drive faded with his death some years later. A decade later, it seems the journey has finally finished.
Music is an often overlooked (overheard?) dimension of ancient buildings. Men like the Renaissance scholar Ficino were notorious for being practicing musicians and he believed music was a vital component in the pursuit of God. Perhaps his illuminated contemporaries, like Sir Gilbert Hay, felt the same and decided to code one of his favourite pieces – if not his own creation – into the chapel.
The evening features several musical pieces, dating from the Renaissance period or inspired by the Motet, as well as short lectures by Stuart and Thomas Mitchell, Ian Robertson, a demonstration of the Cymatics phenomenon by Professor Murray Campbell, and of course the performance of the Motet itself. Check out their website for upcoming performances over the next months.

April 22, 2007
B-25 Wreckage from Maury Island UFO Incident rediscovered

The first and most intriguing UFO crash story ever has just received a new twist in the tail. When the military investigated the story, a plane carrying some of the alleged debris crashed. Even “worse”: the crash site was all but unknown. The crash area was somewhere in the Cascade foothills, about 25-miles to the east of Kelso, Washington.
Almost sixty years after that plane went down, the wreckage has been located. Jim Greean had been searching for the crash site for the last ten years. On April 15, Greean was hiking along Goble Creek, following its narrow channel as it rushes towards the mighty Columbia River. It was along that Creek that a glint of sunshine caught his eye.
“I looked down and there was a piece of silver looking metal. I had a shovel and I touched it and it was metal, so I slid down the bank and it was the first piece of that plane I found,” Jim said. “I started going back up the Creek and it was full of metal. It was like finding gold! I finally found it!”
He pulled dozens of pieces of debris from the mud and muck alongside the Creek. Many of the pieces were mangled, some ripped in two by the sheer force of the impact, and some charred, “This almost looks like it’s black from being burned.” Many more pieces of the plane, he left behind. “There were pieces sticking out and I just couldn’t pull them out. I’m going to have to go out and dig them out.”
Some of the pieces of the wreckage will go on display at Seattle’s Museum of Mysteries. No traces of the “UFO debris” have been recovered so far.

April 16, 2007
Ashes to Ashes...

It is with sadness that I was informed of the passing of Anna "Sammy" Mitchell-Hedges and Jan De Groot. Anna was the adopted daughter of the adventurer Mike Mitchell-Hedges. Anna died on April 11, aged 100, was cremated on April 14, and her ashes will at some point be scattered on the sea off Devon, near her father’s tomb.
In 1924, on Anna’s birthday, the superb “Mitchell-Hedges” skull was officially discovered in Lubaantun, Belize. The story of the discovery only came out a few decades later. Whether bought at auction or given by the local Indians as a thank-you for the work Mitchell-Hedges had performed for them, there is another scenario, which is a variation on this theme, which I hope that some people will, with Anna having now passed, make public, and which may be the ultimate truth. Anna spanned a century in which at first the Mayan civilisation was a cultural pariah, and is now a worldwide sensation, with movies such as Apocalypto and the entire 2012 “obsession”. Her skull could almost be seen as the “magical talisman” that guided this transformation. It was during my lecture yesterday that I announced, for the first time, for what purpose crystal skulls may have been used, and what they may have represented.

Jan De Groot was Mirin Dajo’s trusted assistant and died aged 93. We invited Jan to speak at the Frontier Symposium and the Nexus Conference, as well as published his book. For the first conference, pushing 90, Jan’s car was stuck in traffic, and with a helper on either side, he rushed through the centre of Amsterdam to make the presentation on time. Like Anna, Jan was a man who made sure the message was always more important than the messenger. At the time of their passing, it is nevertheless required to remember the messenger, and thank them for their contributions.

April 16, 2007
Planes? Trains? No: automobiles!

As this category is called “Road-news”, let’s talk about some “road news”. Stan Hall and I live close to each other (just outside of Edinburgh) and were both scheduled to speak at Dorchester, approximately 500 miles south, near the South coast of England. Fog in Edinburgh resulted in the cancellation of Stan’s early morning flight and the imminent cancellation of my afternoon departure. Should we just give up? It would leave the conference having speakers from 10h to 11h, and 16h to 18h – not the best way to please a crowd. Should we try to fly into another airport? No options. The train? A 14h journey, let alone the cost (trains being more expensive in the UK than flights). “How about driving?” We checked a website and learned estimated travel time was just over eight hours. So, at 11.35am, the time I was meant to start driving off to the airport, I set off, picking up Stan, driving South. By plane, then a train ride from Southampton to Dorchester, I was scheduled to arrive at 19h23. By car (travelling within legal speed limits): 19h15! Who says planes are faster than cars?
In the end, the trip was well worth it, as the conference was excellently organised, with a very knowledgeable audience. And it is clear speakers take great effort to show up, as Barbara Lamb was reminiscing about her appearance last year, when she had broken a shoulder skiing, ending up in a shoulder spica, and a few days before the conference, fell on the street, bruising and injuring her face in addition to her previous shoulder injury. Nevertheless, she appeared as announced and gave her talk. If there is an organisation that gives awards to lecturers that guarantee their appearance, no matter what, could the three of us have an honorary badge please?

March 24, 2007
Restoration funds in line for Rosslyn Chapel

Rosslyn has received grants totalling £7.2 million ($13.4 million) toward the restoration of the chapel. The Heritage Lottery Fund designated £4.5 million in what it calls a Stage One pass. Historic Scotland agreed to contribute £2.7 million toward the five-year programme of repairs. While a pass does not guarantee funding, it is an indication of positive support and money for the scheme is set aside pending a second application.
Repairs will include conserving and protecting the stonework, fixing the stained and leaded glass and restoring the Victorian baptistry. The temporary tin roof, which has protected the chapel for the last ten years to let the original roof and walls dry out, will be removed.
The Heritage Lottery Fund grant will also help support the development of the existing visitor facilities to provide a new reception with an interpretative timeline, exhibition space, flexible education space, café, shop and toilets.

March 23, 2007
Red Ice interview

The team of Red Ice Creations recently interviewed me on a myriad of topics. The free-to-listen section includes an in-depth discussion on Canopus, ancient Egypt, magic, and even modern politics. The subscription section talks about The Stargate Conundrum, as well as an introduction into the enigma that is Perillos. The ice was definitely broken…

February 9, 2007
The Opinion of the Unicorn

Earlier, we noted that The Stargate Conundrum was warmly received by the main parties involved. At that time, one person had so far not spoken out: Ira Einhorn, currently serving a life sentence for the murder of Holly Maddux.
One researcher sent him the essay, which resulted in the following comments from Ira: “The enclosure [the Stargate Conundrum] was superb and I spent much of the day on it as I am still working on the problems discussed in it and was glad to receive the stimulus it produced. The article is the most thoughtful I have seen in years, and provides an obvious context for my situation.” In a follow-up letter, "I found your understanding of what happened so acute that it tipped off much writing on my own. [...] It also provides a basis for much further writing about what has happened to me regarding Tesla, the CIA, Yugoslavia, Bronfman, etc. and the ridiculousness of my present legal situation."

February 5, 2007
And the Award goes to… the Burrows Cave

My article on The Burrows Cave has received the “Burrows Cave Award 2007” from the Midwestern Epigraphic Society. Though I unfortunately won’t be able to attend the conference on which the award would be presented, the article received the award for being “well written and unbiased speculation of the authenticity of the Burrows Cave artefacts.” The Midwestern Epigraphic Society researches the ancient migrations of Mankind to the Americas, especially Pre-Columbian and particularly to the Midwest US, as revealed by cultural similarities, archaic writing, ancient world history and evidence found by modern science. We will revisit this debate in the near future…

February 3, 2007
Terrorism galore

Nexus Magazine issue 14.2 (February-March 2007) is once again carrying one of my articles: “State-sponsored terror in the west”. This is somewhat different than the usual blend of material you get on my site, or to quote Duncan in his Editorial: “Consensus reality would also have us believe the lie that terrorism is somehow caused by disgruntled Muslims who had the West. Philip Coppens takes a break from his history/mystery articles and explores the extensive links showing how terrorism is actually created and used by governments and military organisations for their own advantage. Yes, modern Western nations still kill their own citizens, plant ‘evidence’ to blame some created or mythical enemy, and then pass laws – which normally would never be accepted by the populace – to attack their countries and;/or to remove civil rights and freedoms under the guise of ‘protecting us’.” I couldn't have summarised it better myself. And though it may seem not relevant to most of the articles you read on this site, let me assure you it is directly relevant to some...

February 2, 2007
The Conspiracy Times we live in…

The Conspiracy Times website has today been unveiled. I assume both the title and slogan “Your REAL NEWSpaper” is self-explanatory, to which I will nevertheless add that this will be an alternative, refreshing and sane look at the news and conspiracies, plus other material that you would want to read in your normal newspapers… but never see in there.
Conspiracy Times contains both free-to-read and subscription-only material. The first issue of the “REAL NEWSpaper” will be published on March 18. Subscriptions are $50 per year – less than a dollar per issue! – and will go on sale on March 15. A sample issue is available already.

January 8, 2007
Freemasonic tribute

My “initiation” into the alternative field occurred in the Belgian city of Ghent, in the early to mid 1990s. It was therefore bizarre – and moving – to be informed that Freemasons in that city had been inspired by an article on this site and had as a consequence dedicated their lodge to Jan Van Eyck. Though I am not a Freemason myself, having inspired the creation of a Masonic lodge in a town I have a strong connection with, is one of the more bizarre incidents of my life (and there have been quite a few) – but also quite a moving one, for if ever someone required a lodge to be named after him, it was Van Eyck. I therefore wish the “A:. L:. Jan van Eyck” the best of luck for the future.

January 1, 2007
"First Booking"

The Scottish tradition of “The First Footing” is to guarantee that the new year will be a prosperous one. At the strike of midnight, a "tall, dark stranger" appears at your door with a lump of coal for the fire, or a cake or coin. In exchange, you offer him food, wine or a wee dram of whisky, or the traditional “Het Pint”, a combination of ale, nutmeg and whisky. 2007 has started with a mixture of the First Footing and the wedding tradition of “something old, something borrowed, something new”.
Stan Hall was the key figure in “The Quest for the Metal Library”, the article that created a lot of interest, with a plethora of readers asking when an expedition to Ecuador would be organised. That’s the something old. The “something new” is that David Hatcher Childress has published Stan Hall’s “Tayos Gold”, a book I enjoyed producing. That book was the last to arrive through my letterbox in 2006 and the first person to arrive through my door in 2007 was its author, Stan Hall. So that could be seen as the "First Footing". He brought with him a DVD of his expedition, a section (an interview with Father Crespi) of which is available on his website - the something borrowed, or the alternative replacement for a lump of coal.
It's unlikely the “First Booking” will ever become a tradition… Meanwhile, we wish every reader all the best for 2007! And we hope that the ever so slightly changed design of this website will be enjoyed.