Anzar the Alien Mystic / Historical Plagues

About the show

In the first half, author Bruce Olav Solheim joined George Knapp to discuss his memoir about Anzar, the ancient alien mystic whom he met, he said, in a paranormal vision he had in 1997. Anzar, who called himself the Progenitor at the time, recognized Solheim as a seer, and proceeded to explain the workings of the universe during this encounter. Since 2018, Solheim has been in weekly contact with Anzar while on "spirit walks" he takes in a meditative state. On these walks, Anzar reveals his wisdom and knowledge, including his prophecies, sage advice, and commentary on the world. He predicted the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, and foresees a nuclear incident of some kind in Iran, Solheim continued. Often, Anzar also tells Solheim that he wants him to be the "bridge" between the paranormal and academic worlds. Among the insights Anzar has shared is his theory of how the alien world, the spirit world, and the quantum world are the same "quantum nexus," meaning they all operate on a similar vibrational plane at the quantum level. But humanity is not meant to be excluded from the benefits of this alliance. "Extraterrestrial technology and wisdom are precious gifts for all, not a strategic advantage for the few," according to Anzar.

Along with Anzar, Solheim reported, he's had contact with a number of other supernatural entities over his lifetime. These have included a guardian angel, his deceased friend Gene, and a mantis-like figure that examined him as part of an abduction experience.

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In the second half, Dr. Kyle Harper, historian of the classical world at the University of Oklahoma, talked about how disease is entangled with the history of slavery, colonialism, and capitalism. At the most basic level, he argued, human civilization depends on its ability to control infectious diseases. The leading cause of death until recently, Harper explained, has been infectious disease; the fact that it's been replaced by old age and chronic conditions like cancer or heart disease underscores the degree to which our ability to manage infectious illness has improved so much.

That's not to say the journey has been an easy one, however. Each major development in human history has brought with it new opportunities for infectious disease to flourish. While ancient Rome, for example, was known for its advances in engineering and architecture, the city was densely packed and dirty, making it a hotbed for communicable infections. Every new mode of transportation, Harper noted, has also involved the downside of moving diseases as well as people more efficiently. And in cases of large-scale death occurring as the result of disease, the resulting labor shortage has led to conquest, exploitation, and even slavery—which, in turn, themselves provided new fertile breeding ground for infection.

Despite our relative success at keeping infectious disease controlled in more modern times, Harper warned, history shows that pandemics like the current one can pivot quickly to outbreaks of much more deadly variants.