Collective Amnesia of Planetary Catastrophe

[daveycreatrix]

I believe this is a theory based upon Freud, which Velikovovsky seized upon.
I would be grateful of ANY creditable evidence, that collective amnesia has actually occured in any shape or form.
Bearing in mind (from my own point of view) that Sigmund Freud's theories say more about his own insecurities, than those of humanities, I'm open to any interpretations of this.

Illusions are clung to by many because they provide ready answers to many to an entire range of otherwise unbearably unanswerable questions

Sigmund Freud.

Davey

[starbiter]

Hello Davey: Have you read "Mankind in Amnesia", by Dr. Velikovsky? I had a copy that was not returned after i loaned it out. This seems to be an epidemic situation which continues today. I never learn!

The book was very convincing. What was experienced by the survivors of past catastrophes makes post traumatic stress today seem like a picnic.

michael

[daveycreatrix]

Hi Starbiter,
No I confess I haven't read 'Mankind in Amnesia'.
Perhaps you could summerise the main points, and have any of these been validated since?
I'm assuming this is based on Freudian theories?
Which have now been comprehensively trashed.
Davey

[starbiter]

Hello Davey: If you truly have an interest in the subject, you should read the book for yourself.

http://www.velikovsky.info/Mankind_in_Amnesia

http://www.amazon.com/Mankind-Amnesia-I ... 0385033931

michael

[GaryN]

What was experienced by the survivors of past catastrophes

We don't know if there were any survivors, do we? The Greeks told of past catastrophes so bad that living things were put back on the earth. The Gods created men in their image, according to the Bible, but how long ago was that?
Young Earth creationism has it that everything was made 6-10K years ago, that fits with my belief in a 6.5kY cyclic encounter, or power surge. Of course such an idea is considered preposterous, science fiction, whatever, by the majority, but I believe I see the evidence for a recent, total destruction. One thing I am certain of though, no survivors=no memories!

[starbiter]

Hello Gary: If there are detailed descriptions of the catastrophic events from around the world that are consistent with each other, this would imply survivors.

There are legends of earlier events that may have wiped out life on Earth. But the further back we go, the greater the fog.

michael

[nick c]

hi Davey,
Velikovsky's psychology training was in the Freudian school, his mentor Stekel was a student of Freud. Velikovsky knew Freud personally and my impression from his writing is that he had serious issues with Freud.

Bearing in mind (from my own point of view) that Sigmund Freud's theories say more about his own insecurities

Apparently you agree with Velikovsky. In Oedipus and Ahkhnaton Velikovsky writes a scathing critique of Freud and his work. He basically psychoanylyzes Freud, pretty much agreeing with your statement.
Velikovsky's theory of Collective Amnesia is his own. While Freud and others have explored the effect of amnesia on individuals Velikovsky applied it to the collective. The concept of a collective mind was an area that was examined by Carl Jung. So Velikovsky was not rehashing Freudian psychology, on the contrary he was expanding upon an idea of Carl Jung.

You need to read Mankind In Amnesia, a great book, the ideas put forward are even more pertinent today...an era of radical religious terrorism and rogue nations acquiring nuclear weapons, with the willingness to use them. Think about it, if you accept that there may have been global catastrophes in ancient times, why does modern man deny the possibility? Why does modern man seem to be compelled to destroy the Earth? Why the fascination in art, literature, and cinema with the end of the world? Why do we prefer to forget?

Here is a link to a speech Velikovsky gave at the University of Lethbridge in 1974 which is very brief summary of his theory of collective amnesia and the book Mankind In Amnesia:

Cultural Amnesia
The Submergence of Terrifying Events in the Racial Memory and their Later Emergence
http://www.varchive.org/lec/lethbridge/amnesia.htm

Nick

[moses]

We don't know if there were any survivors, do we?
GaryN

So you are suggesting that some humans avoided the catastrophe somehow. And then after things calmed down these humans came out from where they were and then went forth and multiplied, and so there was no drama.

First I think that going underground could have worked for many. But how much change would be required to repopulate the Earth. The diet before the catastrophe was probably greatly different to the post-catastrophe diet. Then there is building materials and unpredictable weather. Not to mention the continuing orbital unstable situation producing planetary electrical interacions. So a long period of difficult conditions, and plenty of evidence that humans lived on Earth during these times. Then is is not so much the actual event that changed us, but the difficult living conditions afterwards.
Mo

[StevenO]

So, are we learning from the mainstream here...? I mean, we cannot find any evidence of planetary catastrophes, so that must have been caused by "collective amnesia"? How extraordinary convenient.....but I consider "dark energy" to be even less bull than this

[mague]

Speaking of desaster on a planetary scale and thunderbolts und flickering suns a minor shift of the human frequency band (collective conciousness ?) is not to far fetched i guess ?

Such a minor shift would make certain collective memories unaccessible. Like god himself has let down the curtain...

[StevenJay]

So, are we learning from the mainstream here...? I mean, we cannot find any evidence of planetary catastrophes [huh?!], so that must have been caused by "collective amnesia"? How extraordinary convenient.....but I consider "dark energy" to be even less bull than this

I, for one, have no idea what you're talking about there. . .

[StevenJay]

Speaking of desaster on a planetary scale and thunderbolts und flickering suns a minor shift of the human frequency band (collective conciousness ?) is not to far fetched i guess ?

Such a minor shift would make certain collective memories unaccessible. Like god himself has let down the curtain...

I think you raise a very good point, there, mague. Indeed, how much of a frequency shift would really be necessary for a major shift in human cognition/perception, among other things? Analogically, bringing even a minor magnetic field into close proximity to the processors in a computer can result in all sorts of operational "glitches."

Heh - maybe we do reside in a cosmic petri dish after all!

[daveycreatrix]

Hi Starbiter & Nick,
OK, so I've ordered a copy of 'Mankind in Amnesia'
I think I should at least least consider Velikovsky's position before commenting more.
As I said I'm willing to consider all evidence, or at least the theories.
I'll have to get back to you on this one!
Davey

[nick c]

hi Davey,
Your willingness to read the material is appreciated.
Keep in mind that Mankind In Amnesia presupposes that the reader accepts that there have been enormous earth changing catastrophes of a celestial origin within the memory of man. The nature of the celestial events as well as the particular celestial bodies involved is general, a specific scenario such as Saturn theory or other, is not a necessary requirement.

Nick

[starbiter]

Hola Davey: I would recommend reading Worlds in Collision first. Preferably twice. This would put Mankind in Amnesia into perspective. Otherwise MiA might be gibberish. If you've already read WiC, i apologize. But read it again.

dictator michael