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Forgotten Civilization: The Role of Solar Outbursts in Our Past and Future
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Building upon his revolutionary theory that the Sphinx dates back much further than 2500 BCE, geologist Robert Schoch reveals scientific evidence of advanced civilization predating ancient Egypt, Sumeria, and Greece, as well as the catastrophe that destroyed it nearly 12,000 years ago and what its legacy can teach us about our own future.
Combining evidence from multiple ...more
Combining evidence from multiple ...more
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Paperback, 384 pages
Published
August 22nd 2012
by Inner Traditions
(first published August 10th 2012)
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Start your review of Forgotten Civilization: The Role of Solar Outbursts in Our Past and Future
The title promises more than it delivers. This book was to satisfy my thirst for unexplained phenomena, but unfortunately most of what was discussed in this book was the same ole same ole of alternative archeology: the pyramid is older than mainstream believes; there were giants and we have the evidence in Easter Island, etc.
There were a few interesting new details about an underground city I hadn't read about before, but ultimately the book suffers from that same disconnected and rambling ...more
There were a few interesting new details about an underground city I hadn't read about before, but ultimately the book suffers from that same disconnected and rambling ...more
In the quest to explain the disappearance of a lost ancient civilization this book finally hits on a plausible natural event that could lead to the kind of widespread cataclysm that is frequently reported in the old mythologies and texts left to us by our ancestors. Reading this has helped bridged the gap between multiple disciplines, each with their own intriguing ideas, but rarely pulled together to explain the bigger picture. It was exciting to read about the ancient technology and feats of
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This was a great idea for a book and it's too bad that Mr. Schoch decided not to write it. Some of the ideas about solar events, the way the plasma manifested in the sky as it relates to ancient petroglyphs is fascinating. Mr. Schoch spent very little time in this space however (in spite of the book's title). Instead we got a brief, incomplete overview coupled with a survey of every piece of fringe science out there from the memory of water, to quantum entanglement to telepathy. There was the
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Solar outbursts are a real occurrence and Mr. Schoch does a good job of explaining what they are, how they may have wiped out an ancient civilization around 10,000 to 12,000 BC. I am not convinced but it certainly is a topic worth studying and pondering. He brings up the Carrington event and that is real. If anything like that happens today, it is going to be a reckoning of our civilization. Some things I think are a stretch, but I do recommend the book. One point that is so true, is that money,
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I first heard of Robert Schoch about fifteen years ago when I watched the NBC special "The Mysterious Origins of Man." Schoch was brought into the project both for his PhD in geology from Yale and for his open-mindedness, specifically on the age of the Sphinx. Despite the assertion of mainstream Egyptology that the Sphinx could not be more than, at most, about 4,500 to 5,000 years old - Schoch said the Sphinx showed obvious erosion from intense rainfall, the likes of which Egypt had not seen for
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It had its "almost not worth slogging through chapters" but over all it had some good insights. One point it made reflected that Sometimes science is not all it seems. It did not answer the "earlier civilization" question anywhere near what I expected. No depth there. A lot of sun related numbers that got to be too much. A lot of pages written that did not delve into the "earlier civilization" issue. I guess I rated it stronger because it ended on a high note.
Fascinating Read
The unraveling of the mystery of the impact that solar flare activity has on the evolution of human consciousness and the planetary forces that shape and control climate; a thoroughly researched theory that is quite riveting in its detail. Schoch has a vast depth to f knowledge that he shares with those who are interested in more than the usual scientific cant.
The unraveling of the mystery of the impact that solar flare activity has on the evolution of human consciousness and the planetary forces that shape and control climate; a thoroughly researched theory that is quite riveting in its detail. Schoch has a vast depth to f knowledge that he shares with those who are interested in more than the usual scientific cant.
Some very interesting ideas and was surprised the level of detail that was gone into the science. However I was looking for more descriptions on the actual "forgotten civilization" and less on the solar aspect of it.
Incredible Book
This book discusses a wide range of concepts from controversial to downright unbelievable but never strays too far off of the science. Well cited from a range sources including everything from geology to astronomy to the paranormal.
This book discusses a wide range of concepts from controversial to downright unbelievable but never strays too far off of the science. Well cited from a range sources including everything from geology to astronomy to the paranormal.
I got as far as the part of psychokinesis needing to be taken seriously as a form of moving stones around, and gave up. That sort of von Daniken grade nonsense has no place in a book written by a professional geologist.
I really enjoyed his writing on the Sphinx, Gobekli Tepe, and Easter Island. I also like his theorem on coronal mass ejections leading to the end of the last Ice Age. Other aspects of the book get off topic.
Not a convincing case at all.
Overall good book. Some information and conclusion differ from other information on the subject. Not certain who's correct on the subject. Overall a good read.
Not worth the time or effort to read.
Interesting. If not a time machine, I'd love a time mirror so that I could go and see stuff myself.
Thought provoking in parts. I liked the central theme and would recommend it for that reason.
However, the author often rambles off the theme.
However, the author often rambles off the theme.
An interesting read. It left me wanting more, I was a little surprised when it concluded as I was expecting more detail and evidence.
I'm giving him one star for content - there were a couple of interesting ideas, but zero stars for writing style, which was repetitive, alternately too technical (when he really doesn't want us to understand?) and too simplistic, and self-aggrandizing. I'd say he pretty much lost me with telekinesis as an explanation for the Easter Island moai. I'd have to do some research to find out if some of his other proposals are valid and I'm not sure it's worth the effort.
Thought-provoking
Thought-provoking and open-minded. By a researcher who is unafraid to question the status quo. The whole point is to find truth, whatever that may be and how ever strange it may seem. This is a captivating read if you love mythology and sacred stories and believe ancient cultures weren't just spinning fairy tales and carving cartoons on rocks -- I believe they were trying to pass on important, meaningful information to help us prepare for and survive the cosmic catastrophes they ...more
Thought-provoking and open-minded. By a researcher who is unafraid to question the status quo. The whole point is to find truth, whatever that may be and how ever strange it may seem. This is a captivating read if you love mythology and sacred stories and believe ancient cultures weren't just spinning fairy tales and carving cartoons on rocks -- I believe they were trying to pass on important, meaningful information to help us prepare for and survive the cosmic catastrophes they ...more
I met geology professor Dr. Robert Schoch the day (in 1991) he announced to the world that the Sphinx is much older than anyone previously suspected. I was the only journalist on site, and we spent nearly 12 subsequent hours chatting about his exciting discoveries. Meanwhile the geologists at the convention agreed with him, the rest of the media ignored him, and the entrenched Egyptology and archeology communities hadn't yet realized that he'd turned their assumptions upside down. It was the
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This is a science book addressing influences on the earth from solar disturbances, mainly. I liked what he had to say about global warming since he talked about the effects of cosmic radiation which I had encountered before but which is generally ignored by the alarmists. He also spoke of the politics of science which is another topic often avoided that plays a major role in research. I liked this book and learned a few things which is always rewarding. I warn the reader, however, that the
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With this book, Robert Schoch delivers the findings of over two and a half decades of scientific work. In it, he surprises and inspires while steadily revealing evidence of an unknown chapter in human history.
Forgotten Civilization takes the reader to places that we think we know, but exposes them in a light we've never seen before. Through a re-examination of such legendary sights as the Sphynx, Easter Island, and Gobekli Tepe, Schoch uncovers evidence of a cataclysmic event embedded in the ...more
Forgotten Civilization takes the reader to places that we think we know, but exposes them in a light we've never seen before. Through a re-examination of such legendary sights as the Sphynx, Easter Island, and Gobekli Tepe, Schoch uncovers evidence of a cataclysmic event embedded in the ...more
-Free review copy courtesy of Inner Traditions/Bear & Company
I was first blown away in the early 90's when I saw a documentary on TV hosted by Charleton Heston about the Sphinx and how two men had a interesting theory about the age of the Sphinx and civilization. Those men were Robert M. Schoch and John Anthony West and they truly inspired me to really think about our past. Now with the recent discoveries of Gobekli Tepe, Gadung Padang and Nan Madol they only strengthen Robert's theories ...more
I was first blown away in the early 90's when I saw a documentary on TV hosted by Charleton Heston about the Sphinx and how two men had a interesting theory about the age of the Sphinx and civilization. Those men were Robert M. Schoch and John Anthony West and they truly inspired me to really think about our past. Now with the recent discoveries of Gobekli Tepe, Gadung Padang and Nan Madol they only strengthen Robert's theories ...more
I started out reading this book sceptically, but as it turned out, it was quite interesting and now I'm thinking, yeah, I can see how it may be the way the author speculates in the book. Parts of the book were hard to get through (parts that discussed physics-type sciences) but over all it was very intersting. Not an easy read though. I'd like to read more on ancient civilzations now, and I think that the possible future catastrophies described by the author are possible. I just wish that I
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Schoch is a geologist/geophysicist with a Yale pedigree who did groundbreaking (heh) work on re-dating the Sphinx in Egypt. He also traveled to Easter Island to assess the age of the statutes there, and the implications of its mysterious 'rongorongo' script, which in his view may have recorded solar plasma storms long ago.
Interesting thesis, that the Sun drastically affected our climate thousands of years ago, and could well do so again. Also puts to mind how fragile the 'technosphere' is, if ...more
Interesting thesis, that the Sun drastically affected our climate thousands of years ago, and could well do so again. Also puts to mind how fragile the 'technosphere' is, if ...more
When I got this book from the library to read, I was hoping for an interesting scientific read and was sadly let down.
Schoch is a typical amongst others enamored in pseudoscience. He makes bold claims off of little to no evidence. He is more concerned about going against the mainstream scientists and getting fame for himself then he is about good science. He's like a hipster of science. If it's a mainstream, commonly held belief then he seems to think that it is obviously wrong. That being said, ...more
Schoch is a typical amongst others enamored in pseudoscience. He makes bold claims off of little to no evidence. He is more concerned about going against the mainstream scientists and getting fame for himself then he is about good science. He's like a hipster of science. If it's a mainstream, commonly held belief then he seems to think that it is obviously wrong. That being said, ...more
On page 294 the author "wildly speculates" about the huge stone carvings of Easter Island being moved by some paranormal activity. When you compare this to the tedious work of Thor Heyerdahl in Aku Aku, it's hard not to feel silly reading this book. Heyerdahl examined the language, the legends, and the stories handed down from generation to generation of how the great statues were moved. He then replicated the feat with locally available tools. In contrast Schoch offers up the possibility of
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Jul 22, 2016
Tom Walsh
added it
I have to reveal something: I'm possessed by the Egyptian Sphinx. There is something so mysterious about it, The fact of a human head on a lion's body is completely out of my little cultural box. Dr. Schoch, however, was there and did ample research on the figure. He dates it thousands of years before current scholars do. Why? Its weathering reveals many more thousands of years before 4000 BC, the static date of archaeological dating. He hints the head was redone, and, perhaps, was originally a
...more
I hesitated in categorizing this book under non-fiction because the author strays into areas I consider fantasy/science fiction at best. Telekinesis etc.
He does posit some interesting ideas regarding the age of the Sphinx, the Easter Island statues and other controversial topics. I enjoyed the first 150 pages or so before he started in on topics I consider too New Age for me to deem viable. I find the premise of Coronal Mass Ejections having a decided impact on civilization to be something I'll ...more
He does posit some interesting ideas regarding the age of the Sphinx, the Easter Island statues and other controversial topics. I enjoyed the first 150 pages or so before he started in on topics I consider too New Age for me to deem viable. I find the premise of Coronal Mass Ejections having a decided impact on civilization to be something I'll ...more
Not what I expected
The book deals with a hypothetical scenario that early efforts at civilization were interrupted by extremely intense solar plasma discharges. However, the author digresses a good deal talking about climate change and scientific consensus. There was little information about the purported early civilization, although the book was generally interesting.
The book deals with a hypothetical scenario that early efforts at civilization were interrupted by extremely intense solar plasma discharges. However, the author digresses a good deal talking about climate change and scientific consensus. There was little information about the purported early civilization, although the book was generally interesting.
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