Since the days of conquistador Hernan Cortes, rumors have circulated about an ancient lost city hidden in the Honduran interior, called the White City or the Lost City of the Monkey God. In the first half, author and researcher Douglas Preston joined George Knapp to recount his daring venture into the treacherous rain forest jungle to uncover mysteries of the lost civilization. While various explorers had tried to locate the city over the years, it wasn't till 2012 that LiDAR laser technology was used to map the terrain under the dense rain forest canopy, and it revealed tantalizing remnants of a once sprawling metropolis.
Preston was aboard the plane making the aerial photography, and then with a team in 2015 that embarked on the dangerous trek into the valley, surrounded by mountains, that contained the lost city. Because the area was impenetrable by foot (and inhabited by poisonous snakes and deadly insects) they arrived by helicopter to set up their camp site, he detailed. As they started to explore the city, it was hard to initially see anything because it was so covered with jungle growth. But using the LIDAR scans as a guide, they eventually uncovered such items as a tall pyramid, beautifully carved altar stones, and a snarling jaguar-head carved in stone. So far, only 200 sq. feet have been excavated out of several square miles, he noted, so "we've only scratched the surface" of this amazing find. For more, view photos Preston shared with us.
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In the latter half, sociologist Dr. Simeon Hein detailed his investigation into how our society treats witnesses to unexplained events, UFOs, and mysterious beings. He once dismissed these topics as being weird, fringe, and kind of crazy - something he'd avoid, but eventually through his involvement in Remote Viewing sessions, the weight of the evidence overcame any doubts he had about the authenticity of these subjects. He looked deeply at why our society is so reluctant to engage and address the critical issues raised by such phenomena. He cited the example of the Phoenix Lights, in which thousands of people saw an anomalous craft, but there was no discussion in the mainstream media, until months later.
Organizations like the National Science Foundation have decided topics such as UFOs aren't worthy of academic coverage, and it could actually hurt the careers of scientists who want to explore areas on the fringe, he remarked. Hein recounted his interview of a witness in the UK, who in the 1970s saw a flashing light in the sky, and then a UFO-occupant get out of the craft once it landed on a hill. Just hours later, he was contacted by a MIB-type official who insisted what he saw was a weather balloon. Hein also talked about cases where people suppress memories or incidents that can shake up their sense of reality. He posited that many paranormal occurrences could be a manifestation of multiverses that on rare occasions bleed through into our own reality.
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