Featured Book Review
'Lemuria and Atlantis' by Shirley Andrews © 2005 Llewellyn 224 pages + Appendices, Bibliography and Index Paperback ISBN 0-7387-0399-4 $12.95(U.S.)
I don't remember when I first encountered the concept of Lemuria in my personal life's journey. I do remember reading the "Mu" series of books by James Churchward during my teen years. During my 20s I encountered the writings of Lewis Spence, as well as writers published by the Theosophical Society. I had read Plato's description of Atlantis, as well as the writings concerned with the readings given by Edgar Cayce. And, of course, Donovan's song "Atlantis" helped to spur the interest of myself and others.
Orthodox science, beginning in the late nineteenth century, has consistently dismissed the existence of the entire concept of "lost continents". Once Ignatius Donnelly published his work (Atlantis: The Antediluvian World) it became fashionable to take pot shots at the stories and/or to "prove" that Plato made up, or misrepresented the entire story of Atlantis.
There is no scientific or historical proof for much of what Ms. Andrews presents in this book. It cannot be shown, beyond a reasonable doubt, that what she describes is the way it was. This book presents, as she freely admits, her version of the past. If you begin reading this book with that held firmly in mind, you will be better able to deal with what is presented between the covers of this book, regardless what conclusions you ultimately reach.
Her portrayal of life in the ancient land of Lemuria is an idyllic one. Everyone respected everyone else; the society was spiritually oriented; no one was required to do anything they didn't want to. At the same time, priests of these same people enslaved "things" (quasi-human results of bestiality) to do their bidding, and in the colonies captives (?) who were used to create safe spaces underground were then executed to protect the locations of these shelters! That sounds to me like selective spirituality (kind of like when the Puritans came to North America so they could oppress their opponents. "We're right, you're wrong. So, you aren't even deserving of being considered human.").
Ms. Andrews ties together the survivors of Atlantis and Lemuria, the predecessors of the Aztec and Mayans, the Tuatha de Danaan and essentially says "Since there is no proof they aren't connected, they must be connected." That type of argument just doesn't hold water.
She relies heavily on accounts given by Edgar Cayce - who doubtlessly aided many with his healing advice, but whose predictions and other readings have yet to be verified (I don't doubt his ability to diagnose and heal, but that doesn't prove his validity in other fields)l James Churchward - who alleged much, but proved nothing; and others who have long been discounted by mainstream academia. This should not be taken to mean that she is wrong - she might be right in part and wrong in other parts. The lack of hard evidence of the lost continents is NOT proof of their non-existence! Troy was assumed to be "only a myth" until Schliemann turned up the evidence which proved its existence.
Unfortunately, some of the assertions Ms. Andrews makes border on the unbelievable. In Chapter 10 (page 97) she says: "Planets surround more than one half of the 100 billion stars in the galaxy." She fails to cite any source for this statement. On the next page she says "Carefully preserved legends and scholarly literature show that some of the beings who developed in these distant worlds advanced their scientific skills enough to leave their homelands and travel in space to our desirable small planet." Again, no citation.
There are a number of what I hope are simple editing errors throughout this book (as an example, 25 years after a prediction made in 1933 is NOT 1933![page 161]). It may make the reader stop and wonder about the care taken in the research of the work if this kind of sloppy writing gets through.
I am, personally, a big fan of the legends of Atlantis and Lemuria. I have actually read many of the source books listed in the preparation of this work (a quarter of a century, or so, ago); I am familiar with the story (and allegations) concerning Tesla; I know at least a moderate amount about the Rosicrucians and Theosophists. Even given that, I would hesitate to say that archeology (and the sciences in general) proves the existence of the lost continents. I would hesitate to accept dreams, recollections of past lives, and other unverifiable sources as proof of anything. Ms. Andrews has no problem doing any of the above. Her evidence may, indeed, prove what she says it does. Unfortunately for her, it is also capable of other interpretations.
Ms. Andrews' book will serve as a good introduction to the subject for those who have no background in this field. It is important, however, not to accept her evidence uncritically. This is definitely NOT a "must have" book.
Reviewer: Mike Gleason
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