The Kingdom of Agarttha: A Journey into the Hollow Earth

by Alexandre Saint-Yves d'Alveydre, Joscelyn Godwin (Preface), Jon E. Graham (Translator)

First English translation of the book that introduced the realm of Hollow Earth

• Explores the underground world of Agarttha, sometimes known as Shambhala, a realm that is spiritually and technologically advanced beyond our modern culture

• One of the most influential works of 19th-century occultism

• Written by the philosopher who influenced Papus, Rene Guénon, and Rudolf Steiner

The underground realm of Agarttha was first introduced to the Western world in 1886 by the French esoteric philosopher Alexandre Saint-Yves d’Alveydre with his book Mission de l’Inde , translated here for the first time into English. Saint-Yves’s book maintained that deep below the Himalayas were enormous underground cities, which were under the rule of a sovereign pontiff known as the Brahâtma. Throughout history, the “unknown superiors” cited by secret societies were believed to be emissaries from this realm who had moved underground at the onset of the Kali-Yuga, the Iron Age.

Ruled in accordance with the highest principles, the kingdom of Agarttha, sometimes known as Shambhala, represents a world that is far advanced beyond our modern culture, both technologically and spiritually. The inhabitants possess amazing skills their above ground counterparts have long since forgotten. In addition, Agarttha is home to huge libraries of books engraved in stone, enshrining the collective knowledge of humanity from its remotest origins. Saint-Yves explained that the secret world of Agarttha, and all its wisdom and wealth, would be made available for humanity when Christianity and all other known religions of the world began truly honoring their own sacred teachings.

Genres: Nonfiction, Occult, Pseudoscience, Philosophy

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1886

About the author

Alexandre Saint-Yves, Marquess of Alveydre, was a French occultist who adapted the works of Fabre d'Olivet and, in turn, had his ideas adapted by Papus. He developed the term Synarchy—the association of everyone with everyone else—into a political philosophy, and his ideas about this type of government proved influential in politics and the occult.-wiki)

Reviews

[Wreade1872 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this was a hollow earth novel but rather it is a religious/conspiracy theory bit of nonsense. It's actually the third book in a series so a lot of its buzzwords and terms must have been introduced in the previous entries.

Imagine the kind of religious pamphlet handed out on street corners, combined with some rejected scripts for Ancient Aliens and the assortment of scribblings police tend to refer to as a Manifesto after they've retrieved it from the serial killers home. That should give you some idea of what we're dealing with here.

The basic premise of this would be belief system is that all religions stem from a single point in this case a mostly underground kingdom of about 15 million people. This civilization is of course perfect and advanced beyond the rest of mankind.

Like scientology and other cults access can only be granted in stages and of course the author can't tell us anything provable until we're willing to accept his religion without proof.
Also accepting this religion is the only way to save europe from the chinese or something.

There's some mildly interesting details like that the Agartthan's found some dragons and bird people underground somewhere, and also they eugenically engineered a weird tortoise thing with eye's on its legs and a foot pointing in each compass direction.

There is one good thing i got from this though, we are currently dealing with a global problem of people believing that facts are negotiable and reality is whatever they want it to be, which is pretty disheartening and even scary, but this work from the 1880's at least shows that is nothing new ;) .

[Andrew · Rating 1 out of 5]

Almost unreadable mystic political rant by 19th-century French guy.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

It looks like the kingdom of Agarttha is some kind of utopia of the writer's mind.Difficult to figure out where the halucination ends and the reality begins if there is any in this story.

[Bobby Daugherty · Rating 2 out of 5]

An obscure esoteric book about synergy. It was influential in its time, but not really essential reading.

[Jesuitstea · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very handsome paperback edition by Inner Traditions. The introduction is very well done and gives some essential context for the track as well as going into its lasting influence, which is altogether more interesting than the work itself. If you're picking this one up because you saw a reference to Agartha in a pulp novel or some of Inner Tradition's well known publications then you might well be disappointed.
I call it a track because it is essentially yet another work of contradictory, lukewarm Christian universalism with a skimming of half-understood orientalism on top. Not much more to be said for this one other than it's soaked with the usual 19th Century Jew-worship.

[Barrie Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is worth your time if you are willing to suspend disbelief and have an interest in the voice of a 19th century writer of esoterica. I can’t explain why I was drawn to pick up and finish reading this book. I would say it’s likely I thought there might be a Secret about the Hollow Earth that I would uncover.

I’m also prone to buying a handful of lottery tickets each month.

[skebob agartha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am now skebob of Agatha
this book had a great impacts on my life and I believe to be 100% real

[Aaron Schuschu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was willing to stomach the academic who thinks he’s unfairly criticized- for the sake of wanting to follow an interesting premise... but it was mostly criticism of the criticisms of religious universalism. Which is interesting, knowing who would later latch onto promoting Illuminati type things.

[Maxime Trencavel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Musings of a madman? Or forbidden secrets of an ancient superior society?

Saint-Yves claims to have gained access to Agarttha through astral travel, gathering knowledge about its inhabitants, their culture, and their advanced technologies. He describes their advanced sciences, their unique methods of teaching and initiation, and their practices of soul travel and ancestor worship. He argues that Agarttha, as a model of a Synarchic society (one where science and religion are united in harmony), is a beacon of hope for the world. He believes that Agarttha's wisdom and technology could help humanity overcome its current social and political problems.

The book argues that Agarttha is the origin of all spiritual and intellectual traditions, and that its wisdom has been passed down through history, influencing Moses, Jesus, and even the early founders of Freemasonry. Saint-Yves emphasizes the importance of Synarchy as a system of governance for the world, one that could bring about peace and harmony. He believes that the nations of the world should unite, embracing the principles of Synarchy and seeking guidance from the spiritual leader of Agarttha.

Despite being written in the 19th century, this text holds surprisingly relevant implications for today's world:

A Call for Global Unity and Cooperation: The book's message of Synarchy, a unified approach to governance embracing science, religion, and social harmony, resonates with today's interconnected world facing global challenges such as climate change, poverty, and war.

The Importance of Knowledge and Tradition: The book's emphasis on the importance of ancient wisdom and knowledge, particularly in the form of Agarttha's vast library, is a call to rediscover and learn from the past.

The Power of Imagination and Spirituality: The book encourages readers to explore the potential of their minds and spirits, just as Saint-Yves claimed to have done with astral travel. It suggests a world beyond the material, a world of spiritual truths and hidden knowledge.

The Need for Spiritual and Moral Leadership: The book places great importance on the role of a spiritual leader like the Brâhatmah, implying that a world grappling with moral dilemmas could benefit from spiritual guidance.

Not a book that most will want to read. It's seriously a curiosity find which will enlighten one to the musings of the late 1800's theologists' yearning for something greater than the western world had to offer of that age.

[Comptes Rendus de René Guénon]

L’ouvrage posthume de Saint-Yves d’Alveydre intitulé Mission de l’Inde, qui fut publié en 19101, contient la description d’un centre initiatique mystérieux désigné sous le nom d’Agarttha ; beaucoup de lecteurs de ce livre durent d’ailleurs supposer que ce n’était là qu’un récit purement imaginaire, une sorte de fiction ne reposant sur rien de réel. En effet, il y a là-dedans, si l’on veut y prendre tout à la lettre, des invraisemblances qui pourraient, au moins pour qui s’en tient aux apparences extérieures, justifier une telle appréciation ; et sans doute Saint-Yves avait-il eu de bonnes raisons de ne pas faire paraître lui-même cet ouvrage, écrit depuis fort longtemps, et qui n’était vraiment pas mis au point. Jusque-là, d’un autre côté, il n’avait guère, en Europe, été fait mention de l’Agarttha et de son chef, le Brahmâtmâ, que par un écrivain fort peu sérieux, Louis Jacolliot2, dont il n’est pas possible d’invoquer l’autorité ; nous pensons, pour notre part, que celui-ci avait réellement entendu parler de ces choses au cours de son séjour dans l’Inde, mais il les a arrangées, comme tout le reste, à sa manière éminemment fantaisiste. Mais il s’est produit, en 1924, un fait nouveau et quelque peu inattendu : le livre intitulé Bêtes, Hommes et Dieux, dans lequel M. Ferdinand Ossendowski raconte les péripéties du voyage mouvementé qu’il fit en 1920 et 1921 à travers l’Asie centrale, renferme, surtout dans sa dernière partie, des récits presque identiques à ceux de Saint-Yves ; et le bruit qui a été fait autour de ce livre fournit, croyons-nous, une occasion favorable pour rompre enfin le silence sur cette question de l’Agarttha.

[Norma Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genres: Nonfiction, Occult, Adventure

I found this a difficult book to follow for some reason—maybe because it is the first English translation of a book that introduces an Inner Earth/Hollow Earth. First published January 1, 1886, it explores the underground world of Agarttha, sometimes known as Shambhala, a realm that is spiritually and technologically advanced beyond our modern culture. Is it truth or fiction? Only you can decide what fits for you. Considered one of the most influential works of 19th-century occultism, Marquis Alexandre Saint-Yves d’Alveydre, writer/philosopher, influenced the likes of Papus, Rene Guénon, and Rudolf Steiner.

Saint-Yves’s book maintains that far below the Himalayas were/are enormous underground cities, which were/are under the rule of a sovereign pontiff known as the Brahâtma. Throughout history, these “unknown superiors” were believed to be emissaries from this realm who had moved underground at the beginning of the Iron Age. The Kingdom of Agarttha, sometimes known as Shambhala, represents a world advanced beyond our modern world, technologically and spiritually. The inhabitants possess skills that those above ground have long since forgotten. There, one will find vast libraries of books carved in stone, encompassing collective knowledge of all peoples in its most remotes of beginnings. Saint-Yves states that the secret world of Agarttha, with its wisdom and wealth, will be available when Christianity and other known religions of the world begin honoring their own sacred teachings.

Very thought-provoking, to say the least.

[Jackson McAloon · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most interesting books I’ve ever read. It would be easy to label this as the writings of an insane person, but he has a way too casual knowledge of such a wide range of topics for that to be the sole explanation. One example is his statement, in passing, that the Spanish still speak the vulgar of Alba Longa. This is such a subtle recognition and yet one that is undoubtedly true when looking at the offshoots of Latin back in the Roman era and the names that were given to the different regions of South America by the Spanish explorers.

But the one thing I truly loved about this book is the exultant tone of sincerity and the author’s jubilant hope for the spiritual wellbeing of mankind. This is not the work of a man who wanted to deceive people. Whether or not Saint-Yves meant for Agarttha to stand as a sacred metaphor for a place where Synarchy had found perfect expression, the book leaves plenty of room for different interpretations and reflections.

[Cyrus Snakebite · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hardly has much to do about Agartha or Hollow Earth, as the author spends far more time talking about a religion called Synarchy, and a bunch of stuff about Jesus and Moses. And almost every page he references some other book called "Mission of the Jews", essentially saying "if you don't understand what I'm saying here, go read some completely unrelated book!"

Hard to read, some good points but would get really boring often.

[Timothy Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This just may be a work of a non-fiction...?