Aliens and Mysterious Rituals
Throughout the world, ancient rites and rituals are believed to connect humans to another dimension. But just who--or what--are we communicating with? Could today's rituals, such as festivals, coronations and funerals, be based on early man's attempts to emulate ancient alien visitors? If so, what other ancient rituals might find their roots in a kingdom--not of this world?
More from Season 3
Episode 1
Aliens and the Old West
Ancient Astronaut theorists believe aliens have been visiting earth for thousands of years. If so, might we find evidence of this even in the stories of America's Old West? In Aurora, Texas, the local cemetery claims to hold the body of an alien whose ship crashed there in 1897. In Utah, petroglyphs depict strange beings wearing what look like space suits. In southern California, 19th century ranchers reported seeing an otherworldly creature emerge from Elizabeth Lake. And even in Tombstone, Arizona, the home of Wyatt Earp and the site of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, cowboys claimed to have shot at a giant, metallic bird Are these simply campfire tales, or did the cowboys and native people of America's Wild West actually come in contact with alien beings from another - much more distant - frontier?
Episode 2
Aliens and Monsters
Hindu scripture describes an enormous flying creature called a Garuda that shook the ground when it landed on Earth. Is it possible that this monster was actually a misinterpreted alien craft? Are hybrids like the Centaur, the Minotaur and Medusa just mythical creatures of fantasy–or could these ancient depictions of terrifying monsters have been the result of advanced extraterrestrial transplantation procedures?
Episode 3
Aliens and Sacred Places
Are sacred places the product of man's reverence for God--or the result of contact with ancient space travelers? Jerusalem's Temple Mount has been called a heavenly gateway. Islam's shrine at Mecca displays a Black Stone believed to have fallen from heaven. And the temple at Baalbek, Lebanon was built on a massive stone structure resembling a landing pad. Did man encounter divine beings at these holy places, or might they have met ancient extraterrestrials?
Episode 4
Aliens and Temples of Gold
Could gold be the ultimate link between humans and aliens? A church in southern France is said to hold the key to alchemy--and a gateway to another part of the universe. Locals in Cusco, Peru believe UFO sightings are connected to lost gold at the bottom of Lake Puray. And some believe underneath the Great Sphinx of Giza lies an entire library left behind by extraterrestrials--a library stored on gold.
Episode 6
Aliens and Ancient Engineers
Might the tools and technology of ancient builders have come from distant galaxies? Evidence suggests that an ancient mountaintop fortress in Peru was constructed with laser-like tools... temples at Vijayanagara India were built to harness cosmic energy... and an acoustic chamber in Malta enabled interplanetary communication. If the ancient builders did use advanced technology, could it prove that aliens visited Earth thousands of years ago?
Episode 7
Aliens, Plagues and Epidemics
Scientists are continually challenged by unidentified strains of bacteria with mysterious origins. Could some of our most crippling plagues and epidemics be traced to the darkest voids of space--or even extraterrestrial intervention? During the Black Death of the Middle Ages, people reported bronze flying ships emitting a strange mist. As recently as 2011, NASA scientist Richard Hoover published evidence of life in meteorites. Is it possible that ancient aliens--as small as microbes--have shaped human history?
