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The Secret Vaults of Time:

Psychic Archaeology and the Search for Man’s Beginnings

By Stephan A. Schwartz

Published by Hampton Roads

Book summary by Jed Bendix, Atlantic University

 

     Listed on Russell Targ’s “Studies in Consciousness” series The Secret Vaults of Time, examines the past and present and how psychics have used their gifts to help unravel mysteries in the field of archeology. Archeology deemed a perfect field to study ESP required using a “triple blind” protocol. A “triple blind” protocol ruled out the possibility of telepathic overlay and fraudulently obtained data. However, what is most important about using such a protocol is that historians and archeologist do not know and cannot agree upon where the target is located.

     In the past, others have gone down the path of psychic archeology and as they journeyed their footsteps became a guide for those who followed. Some of these pioneer psychic archeologists included the likes of Frederick Bligh Bond, Stefan Ossowiecki, British Major General Scott Elliot and others such as the Father of Canadian archeology J. Norman Emerson, George McMullen and Clarence Weiant. Not only do the life stories of each of these men differ but also they each possessed their own unique method or contribution for discovering artifacts by psychic means.  

 

Frederick Bligh Bond

     One technique used by Frederick Bligh Bond was the use of automatic handwriting. Between 1907 and 1922, Bond was in charge of archeological excavations at the Glastonbury Abbey in England and used automatic writing as a way to further his understanding of the site. Bond’s contact with the deceased monks of Glastonbury who called themselves the “Company of Avalon,” helped him to locate artifacts and reconstruct unknown aspects from their lives.

     Considered the oldest Christian church in England, Glastonbury at one time was second to the Vatican in influence and size. However, during the rein of King Henry the VIII, England separated itself from Vatican control. Shortly after the separation, Henry laid siege to the remaining Vatican wealth in England.  As a result Glastonbury riches where confiscated which then was followed by the destruction and or dismantling of many of its buildings. Much of the carted off Abbey either ended up in castles of King Henry the VIII or as construction material in local buildings. Unfortunately, the loss of the written history of Glastonbury would be another crime rendered to it.

     First revealed to Bond by The Company of Avalon were the lost foundations of Glastonbury’s Edgar Chapel. The 1907, automatic drawing of the Edgar Chapel’s foundation was crude but accurate. Bond had to wait until May of 1908, to do his excavation of the site; his patience was rewarded with the uncovering of Edgar Chapels’ foundation.  By the end of 1908, Bond had two major discoveries associated with automatic writing. However, for nearly a decade he did not share how he had obtained the information.

   One of the most fascinating pieces of channeled information from the Monks was the location of a skeleton.  The Monks described a 6 foot 9 inch skeleton buried near the Abbey and that it had an unusual feature. The unusual feature being the head of another man located between the skeletons legs.  Here the Company of Avalon gives an historical account of both men. There was a battle and the man to whom the tall skeleton belonged had killed the man whose head lay between his legs. After many years, the tall man died from the wounds he had sustained in the battle. The head of the man whom he had kill years earlier was laid to rest between his legs.

     Over a dozen different personalities where channeled some of them being abbots, monks, knights, medieval publicans and farmers. Handwriting changed as personalities changed.

     Bond avoided the psychic approach of his day. His contribution to ESP was working towards developing protocols for doing psychic archeology.

 

Stefan Ossowiecki

     Another psychic who contributed to psychic archeology is Stefan Ossowiecki. Born in 1877, and raised in Russia Stefan’s family roots were Polish. Originally, at the end of WWII, Ossowiecki work was lost. Then one day in 1952, a former Nazi approached Ossowiecki’s widow with his lost research. The Nazi admitted that he had killed Ossowiecki in August of 1944. Mrs. Ossowiecki thought the return of her husband’s documents was above reproach and did not press charges against the Nazi.

     At the age of twenty-one Ossowiecki finished Chemical Engineering school at St. Petersburg Technical Institute.  While searching for a job, Ossowiecki by chance met Wrobel, an elderly Jewish mystic.  Wrobel had recently returned to Russia from India where he had acquired his mystical knowledge from a Guru.  Ossowiecki recounts when the two first met, “Upon seeing me even before I had a chance to introduce myself he extended a skinny arm toward me…looked me straight in the eye and said, ‘Your name is Stefan.’”  “Then he proceeded to describe my past and future in minute detail.” For the rest of the summer of 1899, Ossowiecki apprenticed himself unconditionally to the dying mystic.

     Wrobel taught Ossowiecki, “that the superconscious was very different from the subconscious, which ‘is a state in which our will does not participate. Our dreams, for instance, are manifestation of the subconscious and sometimes they have an almost prophetic character…..Superconsciousness, however, is a higher level of organization. It requires the necessary presence of a new element—the element of spirit, of trained will. For superconsciousness the barriers of time and space do not exist…’”

     After completing his training, Ossowiecki returned to Moscow and after his father died in 1915, he became the owner of a large chemical company.  However, his new wealth was to be short-lived. In 1918, the Russian revolution brought the communist to power and soon the new government confiscated all Ossowiecki’s wealth. To make matters worse the communist imprisoned Stefan and threatened to execute him. While in prison, Ossowiecki recalled his training years earlier by Wrobel. Interesting to note that prior to his imprisonment, Ossowiecki had done very little with the training Wrobel had given him. Stefan did not consider himself spiritual but recalling Wrobel’s prediction of his imprisonment and real possibility of being executed set his thoughts in a new direction. Ossowiecki stayed a long time in prison after which the communists forced him to leave Russia.

     While in prison, Ossowiecki reconsidered the use of his psychic talents. He now wanted to use his talents to help people. Furthermore, he made a commitment never to take money when using his psychic abilities. Likewise, Worbel had also given Stefan a warning never to take monetary payments. Relocated to Poland and penniless, Ossowiecki kept his oath. 

     Ossowiecki never regained his wealth but he did manage to make friends in the Polish upper class.  Word spread of his abilities and many of the ears it reached were the elite in the Polish and European scientific community. Ossowiecki soon would be the most scientifically studied psychic. 

     An archeologist by the name of Poniatowski became interested in Ossowiecki’s abilities. Poniatowski wanted to know if Ossowiecki’s could help solve some archeological mysteries.

     One such archeological mystery Poniatowski wanted Ossowiecki to solve was about a primitive humanoid known as Chancelade Man.  Poniatowski then asked Ossowiecki to do a reading of the Chancelade Man.  Ossowiecki of course had no prior knowledge of the subject. However, in an altered state on May 21, 1936, he not only gave an accurate description of the Chancelade Man but also drew a picture of him with the correct physical features.  This means Ossowiecki was looking back some 300,000 years the estimated age of the Chancelade Man.

     Moreover, Ossowiecki often drew pictures of prehistoric animals that were important to the humans of a particular period. Many times the scientist thought the information Ossowiecki provided was incorrect. However, additional research revealed Ossowiecki correct. 

     After Ossowiecki’s success with Chancelade man, other scientists from across Europe (some who were Noble Prize Laureates) sought out the psychic for information.

     Usually the scientist would give Ossowiecki an artifact, which he would hold in his hands. Ossowiecki had no prior knowledge of what the object would be or its place of origin.  When viewing an objects history, Ossowiecki said, “It was like watching a movie flashing by in front of his eyes.”

          When Nazi Germany invaded, Poland Ossowiecki had a chance to escape but decided not to. This may be because Wrobel predicted that if Ossowiecki took to the sea he would meet with an unfortunate end. Likewise, Wrobel also predicted that if Ossowiecki stayed he would still meet a horrible death.  Respecting Wrobel’s prophecies, Stefan decided to stay and help the Polish people.

     At the start of the war, Polish Army Generals approached Ossowiecki for advice on the war but were dismayed when Stefan told them there was no hope and that the Polish people would suffer terribly.

     Like Edgar Cayce, Ossowiecki said that doing too many readings a day was physical harmful. Moreover, during the war, Ossowiecki gave more readings instead of doing fewer, as many as 30 a day. Many of his readings during the war involved locating separated loved ones. 

     Another reason Ossowiecki gave for not fleeing was to show that humans are self-actualizing beings.  He believed people are looking for confirmation of the fact that the spirit is a self-actualizing being, not just a function of matter.

     Ossowiecki’s real interest was not with the psychic nature of man but with the true nature of consciousness and the nature of human will and the relationship these had to man’s destiny. Additionally, the reason Ossowiecki gives for being so gifted as a psychic is that the difference between him and other psychics is that he is on a spiritual journey committed to an inner life. His psychic abilities were a bi-product of his commitment to a spiritual life, which is contrary to most psychic who are not committed to such a life.

     In August of 1944, the Nazis in a massacre that lasted several days killed Ossowiecki, along with over nine thousand fellow Poles. Amazingly, with all the hardships Ossowiecki encountered he never lost sight of fulfilling his spiritual mission on earth.

 

Major General James Scott Elliot

     After retiring from the British Army in 1956, Major General James Scott Elliot found he had “nothing really satisfying to do.”  Therefore, with nothing to do the retired General took up archeology. Soon Elliot faced the one question that all archeologist encounter, “where to dig?”  At the same time, Elliot happened upon a book called, The Elements of Dowsing, by Henri de France.  Dowsing uses two divining rods to find water or artifacts. A Dowser will watch to see if the rods cross or separated from each other, thereby indicating the divining rods are reacting to energy patterns located with in the earth. For the next six months, every free moment Elliot had he practiced dowsing. By the end of that half of year he had become very good at it. 

     Shortly after, Elliot started making archeological discoveries. Elliot’s dowsing wand helped him uncover a lost Roman encampment, a 5,000-year-old precursor to Stonehenge and a Bronze Age crematorium.

     Eventually word spread of the General's dowsing abilities and he found himself with more requests than he could respond too. Elliot kept his very detailed dowsing maps on a Ping Pong table. In 1966, he became president of the British Society of Dowsers. Unlike Frederick Bligh Bond, General Elliot did not face the harsh criticism from fellow archeologist. Part of the reason may be that Elliot lived in a more open-minded time. Moreover, Elliot was more of a gentleman whereas Bond appeared ego driven.

 

Professor J. Norman Emerson and George McMullen

 

     One man who developed a team approach to psychic archeology was the Father of Canadian archeology, Professor J. Norman Emerson.  The story starts when Mrs. Emerson, who was a member in an A.R.E. (Association for Research and Enlightenment) study group, introduced her husband to a psychic by the name of George McMullen. Shortly thereafter, Emerson became interested in using McMullen’s psychic abilities to help solve some archeological mysteries. Emerson first tested McMullen by having him do psychic readings on some Iroquois artifacts. To Emerson’s delight, McMullen succeeded.

     Wanting to test McMullen’s abilities further, Emerson invited him to a prehistoric Iroquois site, McMullen agreed. Once at the site McMullen would take in the lay of the land and then start walking around describing what he was seeing. Emerson would follow close beside McMullen, directing a tape recorder towards him.

     McMullen would later explain that when working an archeological site, an aspect of himself would leave his body, and then rise above himself to an advantage point above the area. McMullen said his view was much like that of being in a helicopter flying above the ground.  He was then able to communicate with individuals who previously lived in prehistoric times at particular site.

     Emerson gave a speech, in March of 1973, at the annual meeting of Canada’s archaeologist institution. In the speech, Emerson admitted his use of a psychic to gain knowledge of archaeological mysteries.  Upon hearing this, many of his fellow archeologists sat squirming in their seats.

     After his speech, a fellow archaeologist presented himself to Emerson and asked if he could use McMullen to do a reading on an artifact. The artifact was an argillite carving. Emerson agreed. McMullen seated next to Emerson took the carving and said the object had belonged to a black man from the west coast of Africa, and that he had arrived in British Colombia on a slave ship. This startled everyone since the discovery of the artifact was on a Native American site, located in British Colombia. Additionally, there was no record of any Africans near the site. Emerson left for home feeling embarrassed.

     Upon arriving home, a group of coincidences occurred that changed everything. Emerson’s daughter, who was attending a university, arrived home with her friend. Her friend Emerson discovered read Tarot cards. Emerson thought this was an opportunity to test two psychics against each other. What took place amazed Emerson.  For when he handed the same argillite carving that McMullen had previously read to his daughter’s friend she described the same story.  A black man owned the carving and he arrived in Canada on a slave ship. She also gave details as to the place in Africa where the man originally lived; Emerson was elated.

    Emerson next found another psychic and likewise the psychic gave the same story. Emerson then discovered that each psychic gave a slightly different story. Moreover, the main story line stayed the same. What differed were little details like the description of where the man had been in Africa. All three agreed he came from somewhere midway along the west coast of Africa. However, one said he lived on a plateau; another said near a waterfall.

     At this point a former student of Emerson’s arrived back home from studying African artifacts, so Emerson handed the carving to his former student. The student easily identified and agreed with the psychics to its place of origin.

     After this came a study of the blood types of the Native Americans living in British Colombia. To everyone’s surprise one tribe had blood types matching Africans.  

     From his experiences, Emerson soon developed a protocol for doing archeological work with multiple psychics.

    

Dr. Clarence Weiant

     In 1939, a joint archeological dig conducted by the National Geographic and Smithsonian Institute under the leadership of Dr. Clarence Weiant was going nowhere. The dig was taking place near the small Mexican village of Tres Zapotes. For Four months, the workers endured rain and bugs only to come up empty handed. Then one day, one of the Mexican workers approached Dr. Weiant, saying he had special powers and could help him find what he was looking for. Dr. Weiant looked at the eighty-year-old worker and decided to let him try.

     After walking through the forest for two thirds of a mile, the old man stopped and pointed to a small mound. “Here you will find what you are looking for,” the old man said. Dr. Weiant thought to himself, the lay of the land is no different from where his present dig was taking place. What could this old man be seeing?

     However, Dr. Weiant had previously worked with a parapsychologist and recognized the potential that the old man could be right.  After making his decision Dr. Weiant when back to the old site and told the diggers to move to the new site. Within an hour, after they started digging at the new site, they were uncovering 200-year-old artifacts.

 

A New Paradigm

     With such evidence of psychic archeology, one might ask, “Why it is not excepted science?” Dr. Thomas S. Kuhn’s essay The Structure of Scientific Revolutions helps us to understand why it is not presently accepted. Kuhn’s essay uses history to point out an obvious flaw in science. Any science whether in the past or present is based upon accepted paradigms that the larger established community already accepts. In order for a new paradigm to emerge and replace the established one, there needs to be a series of challenges to the old way of thinking.

     Example Galileo’s discovery about the motion of the planets changed the previous way humans thought about the universe. Previously, the earth had been the accepted center of the universe and all other bodies in the heavens circled it. After Galileo demonstrated and proved that the earth and planets revolved around the sun many new questions arose. One for example, what mechanism keeps the planets in their circular orbits?  However, under the historical mathematical paradigm of their time scientist could only speculate as to what kept the planets in their circular pattern. One explanation widely held in the larger scientific community was that the planets where part of a large mechanical clock. The established paradigm of mathematics and the universe is what lead them to believe this widely held concept.

     When Isaac Newton presented his theory on gravity, he had many detractors, who were schooled in the old paradigm. The old paradigm resisted Newton’s work even though it clearly showed, mathematically, how the planets could remain in orbit around the sun. Many years passed before Newton’s theory became an accepted fact.

     Unfortunately, the current paradigm has become so ingrained that scientists are no longer scientists but followers. However, like in the times of Galileo and Newton ESP research is forcing some unresolved questions. These new questions need an answer. The question is, “Who then is willing to answer the call and become the new Galileo or Newton?”

     For those interested in answering the call, consider the following statement taken from Stephan Schwartz’s book. “Anyone seeking to do practical psychic research must also make some accommodations and realize that he is working with a biosensor and biocomputer, one “designed” to probe an immaterial realm with sensitivity, sophistication, and potential quite literally—for the moment, at least—beyond his comprehension.”

     Furthermore, Schwartz states that when studying ESP there are six factors to be considered. “First, is the condition of the channel, second, that of the researcher; third is the development of a mutually understood language; fourth, the formulation of the question; fifth, their joint involvement in the transmission of questions and reception of answers; and sixth, the analysis of the psychically obtained data.” 

     Just as important to ESP is the purpose, motives and ideals of the researcher and the psychic. Many times research has shown, reverse psi effects appear when individuals hold to selfish motives.

     In summary, personal methods of psychic archeology employed by a specific psychic vary little in results form other psychics using differing techniques.  Bond used automatic handwriting or channeling, Ossowiecki used remote viewing, McMullen a form of astral travel and Major General Elliot used dowsing. All these men had a passion for what they were doing. Moreover, except maybe for Bond, all sought to use their gifts selflessly to better the understanding of humanity.

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