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NARRATOR:
For thousands of years,
people have held a belief

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that objects can become imbued
with a mysterious energy.

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Everyday objects can become
animate and even enlightened.

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NARRATOR:
Known as talismans, they are
revered in every culture.

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JONATHAN YOUNG:
The ancient Sumerians,
the Greeks, the Romans--

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they thought there was sacred
power in inanimate objects.

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NARRATOR:
And it is believed
that they provide

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a connection to a higher realm.

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Ancient Egyptian magic
was based on the idea

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that a person holding
one of these talismans

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actually possessed
the power of the god.

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NARRATOR:
Could it be that what fuels
our faith in talismans

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is not superstition,
but a real connection

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to something beyond our world?

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GIORGIO TSOUKALOS:
I think the reason why many
of us put so much value

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into these talismans is because
they are a direct connection

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to our ancestors

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and to some sort of
a celestial power.

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NARRATOR:
There is a doorway
in the universe.

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Beyond it is
the promise of truth.

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It demands we question
everything

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we have ever been taught.

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The evidence is all around us.

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The future is
right before our eyes.

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We are not alone.

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We have never been alone.

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The cross.

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For billions of Christians
throughout the world,

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this is the most prominent
symbol of their faith.

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It adorns churches,
pulpits, the vestments

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of clergy,
and members of the faith.

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Representing the crucifixion
of Jesus Christ,

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the cross serves as a symbolic
reminder of his sacrifice.

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But for many, it is not
merely a symbol.

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It is an object of power, and
serves as a modern-day example

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of a very ancient concept:

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the talisman.

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Throughout history,
possibly throughout pre-history,

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human beings have always had
an ongoing love affair

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with talismans.

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DOMINIC STEAVU:
Talismans are found
throughout cultures

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from South America
to the Middle East,

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to Africa,
to East Asia and Europe.

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They are found everywhere,

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and they share
a lot of common features.

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They are primarily material
concretions of the divine.

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Of supernatural power.

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Talismans provide
a physical anchoring

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for what is usually invisible.

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The word "talisman"
actually means

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"to consecrate and to fulfill."

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And it's thought
that they actually fulfill

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or amplify the will or desire
of the person using it.

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JONATHAN YOUNG:
The Iroquois,
the Native American group,

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had this energy in things.

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It was called Orenda.
The Japanese Shinto tradition

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believed that physical objects
had soul.

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The ancient Sumerians,
the Greeks, the Romans,

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they thought there was

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the possibility of sacred
power in inanimate objects.

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KATHLEEN McGOWAN:
Talismans can be big or small.

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They can be carried, they can
be installed in buildings.

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There are all kinds
of talismans.

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There are talismans
for protection.

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There are talismans for healing.

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And there are a lot of talismans

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for religious purposes,
which are used

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to feel closer or connected to

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a religious character,
a saint, or even a god.

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The earliest talismans
that we have records of,

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specifically, are bear claws
for helping the hunt,

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eagle talons
for personal strength,

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and what are called
Venus figurines for fertility.

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Even in the 21st century
talismans are big.

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Many people might not
think of them as talismans,

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but you have
Saint Christopher medals

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for travelers,
you have Christian crosses,

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and you often see people
touching them or holding them.

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And they do think
of them as talismans.

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They do think it actually
protects them in some way.

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NARRATOR:
Throughout all of human history,

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and in every culture, people
have assigned certain objects

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with extraordinary powers.

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But why?

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What is behind
this enduring belief?

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YOUNG:
The talisman helps us bridge
the seen and the unseen.

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The spirit and matter.

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The sacred dimension is really
beyond our understanding.

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We can't see it.

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We can believe in it,
but it would be nice to touch.

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And that's the bridging function

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of a talisman or an amulet.

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STEAVU:
The talisman can be
a constant reminder that someone

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or something
is watching over you.

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And I think a lot of people can
find comfort and solace in that.

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Even for nonreligious believers,

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talismans can be a concretion

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that is physical of the presence
of the invisible.

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NARRATOR:
Any physical object has
the potential to be a talisman,

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but there are certain talismans
that appear all over the world

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and in many different cultures.

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The talismans that I find
the most mysterious

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are those that employ
the human eye.

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And they're mysterious
precisely because they appear

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all over the world, amidst
cultures that are separated

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by vast differences in time,
geography, custom, language,

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from Siberia to Polynesia.

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Literally, human beings,
for millennia,

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have been devising talismans
in the shape of an eye.

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The most famous, of course,
being the Egyptian Eye of Horus,

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but they occupy every culture,
every territory, every time.

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And that common language
is fascinating.

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NARRATOR:
Curiously, this talisman
serves the same function

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in nearly every culture
in which it appears,

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which is to protect against
what is commonly known

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as the curse of the evil eye.

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The evil eye goes back
at least 5,000 years.

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Uh, you can go back
to Mesopotamia,

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you can go back
to ancient Egypt.

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The definition of the evil eye
is basically a curse.

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And it is transmitted
through a glance.

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So, the evil eye is born
from the emotion of envy,

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of jealousy,
of greed, of resentment.

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And we see there are
many different types of amulets

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that deflect
this negative energy.

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Today, you can find the evil eye
just about everywhere.

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You have jewelry, the evil eye
beads, which is called a nazar,

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of the blue
and the white circles.

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The hamsa.

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People will hang hamsas
on their doors,

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above their desks,
they tie them on cribs.

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So, you can see
these amulets everywhere,

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and they are all to deflect

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the curse that is unleashed
from the evil eye.

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NARRATOR:
As the evil eye
is for protection

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and the Venus figurine
is for fertility,

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many talismans take forms
that are directly connected

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to their intended purpose.

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But there are some whose origins
are far more mysterious.

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One talisman that many people
around the world

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wear around their neck

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or as a bracelet
is the so-called Merkabah.

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The Merkabah
is a concept that comes

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from the Hebrew faith,
and "Merkabah," translated

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into plain English,
is "chariot."

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It actually ties in
with the story of Ezekiel,

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in which he describes,
as an eyewitness,

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what he saw up in the sky.

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NARRATOR:
In the Hebrew bible's
Book of Ezekiel,

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the prophet Ezekiel describes
witnessing a fiery chariot

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with wheels within wheels,

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descending from the sky
in a whirlwind.

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Not only did he see these wheels
within a wheel up in the sky,

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but that thing landed
in front of him,

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and somebody came out.

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And Ezekiel himself is actually

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taken inside this craft.

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So, the Merkabah
is a transportation device.

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I find it fascinating
that the Merkabah now

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is just, oh, for protection.

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It's for you know, longevity.

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It is for procreation,
which are all great things.

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But when I read that Merkabah
means "celestial chariot,"

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that's when my ears perk up.

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PAGLIARULO:
The book itself is among
the most mystical texts.

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And so, when you
do that connection,

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and you look at the Merkabah,
you can really get the idea

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that it creates a connection
to another realm,

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metaphorically, but then,
also, I do believe, too,

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that people who wear it
do sense

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some sort of a portal
into something else.

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NARRATOR:
Is it possible
that the Merkabah--

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that is still worn
by millions of people today--

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was inspired by
an extraterrestrial visitation?

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And if so, might this be true
of other talismans

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as well, and the belief
that inanimate objects

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can be imbued with energy?

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Perhaps further clues
can be found by examining

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the most prominent
and mysterious talismans

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of ancient Egypt.

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NARRATOR:
Thebes, Egypt.

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Here, in the 1830s,
British Egyptologist

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Sir John Gardner Wilkinson

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discovered
the earliest known version

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of what the ancient Egyptians
referred to as

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"The Book of the Dead."

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This text,
dating back 3,600 years,

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was a key component
of Egyptian funerary rituals

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and detailed as many
as 75 talismanic objects,

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each with a specific purpose

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for both
the living and the dead.

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Ancient Egyptian magic was based
on the idea that the gods

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could imbue an object
with magical powers,

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with superpowers.

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That a person holding
one of these talismans

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actually possessed
the power of the god,

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and then could heal themselves,

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protect themselves,
manipulate their environment.

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The Egyptians utilized talismans
in a very special way.

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The actual physical object
of the talisman--

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what it was created from--
is important.

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Was it a scarab
carved out of lapis lazuli?

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Was it important stone?
How was it inscribed?

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NARRATOR:
The ancient Egyptians
often made talismans

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from a type of limestone
called lapis lazuli,

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which they believed
would provide good fortune,

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as well as protection during
the journey to the afterlife.

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Another powerful talismanic
material was moldavite,

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a type of green glass
formed by a meteor impact

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super heating the desert sand.

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A protective heart scarab
made of moldavite was found

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in the tomb of King Tut,
and the Egyptians believed

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it provided a connection
to the cosmos.

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PAGLIARULO:
The origins of the moldavite
are extraterrestrial,

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and people believed that you can
use the stone as a talisman,

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um, to connect
with extraterrestrial energy.

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It's bringing
the properties that

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are from an extraterrestrial
world into ours.

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NARRATOR:
For the ancient Egyptians,

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just as important
as the material

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from which a talisman was made
was the shape that it took.

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The design of each talisman
invoked a certain energy.

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The people believed
they could gain access

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to the gods through, well,
little figurines of the gods,

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or-or animals, although some
of them were very abstract,

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even technological-looking.

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MCGOWAN:
Arguably, one of the oldest
and certainly the most popular

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and common talismans in human
history is the Egyptian ankh,

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which is sometimes called
the "Key of Life,"

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which resembles a cross
with a loop on the top of it.

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The ankh symbolized
the goddess Isis.

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Carrying the ankh was believed
to imbue you

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with a lifeforce and a vitality

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that came directly as a gift
from the goddess herself.

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The ankh is of enormous
importance to the Egyptians.

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And you have gods carrying them.

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Especially the god Anubis,
the jackal-headed god,

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who ushers you
into the afterlife.

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And when he points it towards

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the mummy of the deceased,

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he's aiding in the first stages
of resurrection

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and, indeed, reincarnation.

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COLLINS:
The ankh often associated
with a second symbol

244
00:14:01,542 --> 00:14:04,000
known as the djed pillar.

245
00:14:04,125 --> 00:14:07,333
This was the representation
of the backbone

246
00:14:07,333 --> 00:14:09,917
of the god named Osiris.

247
00:14:11,208 --> 00:14:13,500
MCGOWAN:
But what the djed pillar
represented in terms of

248
00:14:13,667 --> 00:14:16,792
talismanic use was stability.

249
00:14:16,875 --> 00:14:18,958
Carrying the djed pillar
was to keep you stable

250
00:14:18,958 --> 00:14:21,167
and to protect you from chaos.

251
00:14:21,208 --> 00:14:24,500
The forces of evil in Egyptology
were the forces of chaos.

252
00:14:25,625 --> 00:14:28,375
COLLINS:
These two symbols together
represented

253
00:14:28,458 --> 00:14:30,333
life and stability,

254
00:14:30,375 --> 00:14:34,125
and they were shown
being given by a god

255
00:14:34,208 --> 00:14:37,458
to the current pharaoh
to bring stability

256
00:14:37,542 --> 00:14:41,500
to his or her own reign
during their lifetime.

257
00:14:41,583 --> 00:14:44,583
But beyond this, it was a symbol
of communication,

258
00:14:44,708 --> 00:14:46,333
also, with the gods themselves.

259
00:14:47,458 --> 00:14:51,208
NARRATOR:
In Egyptian mythology,
the gods Osiris and Isis

260
00:14:51,292 --> 00:14:54,542
are husband and wife,
and they came to Earth

261
00:14:54,625 --> 00:14:57,958
from the belt stars
of the Orion constellation.

262
00:14:58,042 --> 00:15:00,917
When the talismans
that represent them--

263
00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:04,000
the ankh and the djed pillar--
were combined,

264
00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:06,833
it was believed to facilitate
a connection

265
00:15:06,833 --> 00:15:09,417
to these otherworldly entities.

266
00:15:09,500 --> 00:15:13,250
And in some cases,
these objects were associated

267
00:15:13,333 --> 00:15:17,500
with a third talisman:
the was-scepter.

268
00:15:17,583 --> 00:15:21,333
The was-scepter was a type
of baton, a scepter, a stick.

269
00:15:21,417 --> 00:15:23,542
And at the top,
there was the representation

270
00:15:23,667 --> 00:15:28,375
of an animal's head, most
often believed to be a jackal.

271
00:15:28,458 --> 00:15:31,833
It was a symbol of dominion.
It was a symbol of power.

272
00:15:31,917 --> 00:15:33,583
The was-scepter
was used by the gods

273
00:15:33,667 --> 00:15:35,417
and the was-scepter was
also used by the pharaoh.

274
00:15:35,500 --> 00:15:37,417
The was-scepter was not used
by common people.

275
00:15:37,542 --> 00:15:39,542
It was only used
by people of power.

276
00:15:40,875 --> 00:15:43,542
The was-scepter,
combined with the ankh

277
00:15:43,625 --> 00:15:48,083
and the djed pillar, becomes
a symbol of absolute power.

278
00:15:49,375 --> 00:15:53,583
You have to ask the question,
well, how are they related?

279
00:15:53,667 --> 00:15:58,125
And frankly, especially the
djed pillar and the was-scepter,

280
00:15:58,208 --> 00:16:02,292
they look very technological
in origin.

281
00:16:03,542 --> 00:16:06,458
COLLINS:
What is curious about
the djed pillar

282
00:16:06,542 --> 00:16:08,333
is its resemblance

283
00:16:08,375 --> 00:16:13,167
to a Tesla coil
or an electrical conductor.

284
00:16:13,208 --> 00:16:17,167
Is it possible, therefore,
that the ancient Egyptians

285
00:16:17,208 --> 00:16:20,625
modeled the djed pillar
on some kind of device

286
00:16:20,708 --> 00:16:23,917
that they had that could
generate electricity?

287
00:16:24,958 --> 00:16:29,375
My question is: is it possible
that the ancient Egyptians

288
00:16:29,458 --> 00:16:32,833
witnessed far-advanced
technology

289
00:16:32,917 --> 00:16:37,167
that they then
misinterpreted as magic?

290
00:16:37,292 --> 00:16:41,833
And therefore,
a mythology was created

291
00:16:41,875 --> 00:16:45,333
around these objects
suggesting, well,

292
00:16:45,417 --> 00:16:47,875
if you have an ankh
around your neck

293
00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:50,042
or if you have a djed pillar
around your neck

294
00:16:50,125 --> 00:16:53,417
or something like this,
it is imbued with power.

295
00:16:54,792 --> 00:16:57,292
It would seem
these djed pillars,

296
00:16:57,375 --> 00:17:00,000
which people would
carry around as amulets,

297
00:17:00,042 --> 00:17:02,500
were imitations

298
00:17:02,583 --> 00:17:05,833
of really high-tech
extraterrestrial devices.

299
00:17:05,875 --> 00:17:09,792
NARRATOR:
The three powerful talismans
of ancient Egypt

300
00:17:09,792 --> 00:17:13,333
inspired scepters
that are still incorporated

301
00:17:13,417 --> 00:17:15,833
in royal ceremonies today,

302
00:17:15,917 --> 00:17:18,292
like those used
for the coronation

303
00:17:18,375 --> 00:17:22,000
of King Charles III
of England in 2023.

304
00:17:22,083 --> 00:17:24,667
And they continue to symbolize

305
00:17:24,750 --> 00:17:27,167
divinely granted authority.

306
00:17:27,250 --> 00:17:29,458
The British monarchy
is the classic example

307
00:17:29,542 --> 00:17:32,542
of a modern monarchy
that still uses talismans,

308
00:17:32,667 --> 00:17:37,083
the scepter, that have these
ancient antecedents in Egypt

309
00:17:37,208 --> 00:17:39,333
that convey the idea
that the monarch

310
00:17:39,375 --> 00:17:41,750
is now separated from humans

311
00:17:41,875 --> 00:17:43,375
and is much closer to the gods

312
00:17:43,458 --> 00:17:45,250
than any other human being
on Earth.

313
00:17:46,375 --> 00:17:49,083
NARRATOR:
Could it be that
ceremonial objects

314
00:17:49,167 --> 00:17:53,167
still being used today
are rooted in ancient talismans

315
00:17:53,250 --> 00:17:57,250
that were fashioned after
extraterrestrial technology?

316
00:17:58,375 --> 00:18:00,667
Perhaps further clues
can be found

317
00:18:00,792 --> 00:18:02,917
by examining talismans that

318
00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:06,083
represent the gods themselves.

319
00:18:12,208 --> 00:18:14,125
NARRATOR:
In cultures throughout
the world,

320
00:18:14,208 --> 00:18:17,042
there are talismans
that take the shape of divine

321
00:18:17,167 --> 00:18:19,083
or celestial beings

322
00:18:19,167 --> 00:18:21,375
and are believed
to hold a connection

323
00:18:21,500 --> 00:18:23,500
to the entities they depict.

324
00:18:23,542 --> 00:18:26,833
In some cultures,
these talismans

325
00:18:26,958 --> 00:18:29,500
are even considered to be alive.

326
00:18:31,375 --> 00:18:36,125
In Buddhism and many other, uh,
East Asian religious traditions,

327
00:18:36,208 --> 00:18:39,333
statues or iconographic
representations

328
00:18:39,417 --> 00:18:41,625
of deities are paramount.

329
00:18:41,708 --> 00:18:44,000
And typically,

330
00:18:44,083 --> 00:18:47,333
when carving a statue
that represents a deity,

331
00:18:47,375 --> 00:18:50,625
the last part to be carved
are the eyes

332
00:18:50,708 --> 00:18:53,708
because that's
what gives them life.

333
00:18:53,792 --> 00:18:57,667
So, they're considered
to be alive, and at the point

334
00:18:57,750 --> 00:19:00,083
when the eyes are opened,

335
00:19:00,208 --> 00:19:03,167
this is when
the essence of the deity

336
00:19:03,208 --> 00:19:08,417
descends into the statue
or the image.

337
00:19:08,542 --> 00:19:12,750
They are venerated, of course,
they are cleaned and washed.

338
00:19:12,833 --> 00:19:15,500
They are fed through offerings,

339
00:19:15,583 --> 00:19:18,167
and these are considered
to be the equivalent

340
00:19:18,208 --> 00:19:21,333
to having the deity
present in front of you.

341
00:19:22,375 --> 00:19:24,917
NARRATOR:
For ancient astronaut theorists,

342
00:19:25,042 --> 00:19:29,250
some of the most intriguing
talismanic objects ever made

343
00:19:29,375 --> 00:19:33,750
can be found on the East Asian
islands of Japan.

344
00:19:33,875 --> 00:19:35,708
Here, the Jomon people,

345
00:19:35,792 --> 00:19:39,417
who emerged roughly
12,000 years ago,

346
00:19:39,500 --> 00:19:41,333
created thousands of figurines

347
00:19:41,375 --> 00:19:44,958
depicting strange,
humanoid beings.

348
00:19:46,042 --> 00:19:50,000
The earliest culture that we can
identify in Japan is the Jomon,

349
00:19:50,083 --> 00:19:54,083
which is originally
a Stone Age culture

350
00:19:54,167 --> 00:19:59,875
running roughly
from 10,000 BCE to 300 BCE.

351
00:19:59,875 --> 00:20:03,000
STEAVU:
The little that we do know
about the Jomon

352
00:20:03,083 --> 00:20:05,792
comes from
archaeological evidence.

353
00:20:05,875 --> 00:20:09,625
And one of the most
representative artifacts

354
00:20:09,708 --> 00:20:14,375
that is tied to the Jomon
is the dogu statue.

355
00:20:14,500 --> 00:20:17,667
There are over 15,000
dogu figurines,

356
00:20:17,708 --> 00:20:20,417
uh, that date back
to the Jomon period

357
00:20:20,500 --> 00:20:23,500
that are spread all over Japan.

358
00:20:23,583 --> 00:20:28,125
They are thought to be
some kind of talismanic object,

359
00:20:28,208 --> 00:20:30,333
but their appearance
is very striking.

360
00:20:30,458 --> 00:20:32,500
They're humanoid in form,

361
00:20:32,625 --> 00:20:36,167
but they don't look like
anything properly human.

362
00:20:36,250 --> 00:20:38,625
Many of them have
heart-shaped heads

363
00:20:38,708 --> 00:20:43,333
and they wear suits
that seem otherworldly.

364
00:20:43,417 --> 00:20:46,958
A variety of these
dogu figurines

365
00:20:47,042 --> 00:20:49,292
also seem to be wearing goggles,

366
00:20:49,375 --> 00:20:53,000
as one would find
on astronaut helmets

367
00:20:53,125 --> 00:20:55,042
or some kind
of advanced technology.

368
00:20:55,125 --> 00:20:58,500
TSOUKALOS:
If you go to Japan today,
at the museums,

369
00:20:58,583 --> 00:21:01,667
you can find
countless dogu statues,

370
00:21:01,833 --> 00:21:04,500
and some of which
are still used today

371
00:21:04,583 --> 00:21:08,667
in Japanese households
in a shrine.

372
00:21:09,708 --> 00:21:13,292
The Shinto religion suggests
that any inanimate object

373
00:21:13,375 --> 00:21:16,958
can be imbued with a soul.

374
00:21:17,042 --> 00:21:21,292
And Shintoism is
the primary religion of Japan.

375
00:21:21,375 --> 00:21:23,583
According to Shinto tradition,

376
00:21:23,667 --> 00:21:25,667
uh, certain objects
can come to life.

377
00:21:25,750 --> 00:21:30,125
They can become animate
and, uh, sentient as well.

378
00:21:30,208 --> 00:21:34,417
Household objects,
everyday objects, tools

379
00:21:34,500 --> 00:21:38,417
can become animate
and even enlightened.

380
00:21:39,542 --> 00:21:42,333
TSOUKALOS:
They worship
what they call the kami,

381
00:21:42,375 --> 00:21:45,333
which are these
celestial beings that come down

382
00:21:45,417 --> 00:21:48,000
from their celestial palace
in the sky.

383
00:21:48,083 --> 00:21:51,625
And these figurines look like
these humanoid beings

384
00:21:51,708 --> 00:21:54,375
that are in some type
of space suits.

385
00:21:54,458 --> 00:21:57,208
And of course, the ancient
astronaut's suggestion

386
00:21:57,292 --> 00:22:00,333
is that they were created after

387
00:22:00,375 --> 00:22:04,083
the extraterrestrials
visited Earth in a remote past.

388
00:22:04,208 --> 00:22:09,375
NARRATOR:
Could it be that the mysterious
dogu figures are, in fact,

389
00:22:09,458 --> 00:22:13,167
imbued with some type
of metaphysical energy?

390
00:22:13,250 --> 00:22:16,167
And if so, might this energy

391
00:22:16,250 --> 00:22:18,500
have been imparted
by otherworldly beings

392
00:22:18,625 --> 00:22:21,333
that the dogu
were modeled after?

393
00:22:22,792 --> 00:22:25,667
CHILDRESS:
You have, also,
these figurines from Sumeria

394
00:22:25,708 --> 00:22:29,917
that are showing people
with these extremely large eyes.

395
00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:31,667
They also are talismans,

396
00:22:31,750 --> 00:22:34,917
and they look very much
like extraterrestrials.

397
00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:37,417
And they were carrying them
around in their pocket

398
00:22:37,500 --> 00:22:40,417
or in a little altar
in their house.

399
00:22:41,542 --> 00:22:43,792
NARRATOR:
In Sierra Leone, Africa,

400
00:22:43,875 --> 00:22:46,667
hundreds of strange,
humanoid figurines

401
00:22:46,750 --> 00:22:51,375
with amphibian features
were unearthed in the 1990s.

402
00:22:51,458 --> 00:22:55,042
Called the nomoli,
they are believed to date back

403
00:22:55,208 --> 00:22:58,042
at least 17,000 years.

404
00:22:59,083 --> 00:23:02,833
In Southern Iraq,
figurines of reptilian humanoids

405
00:23:02,875 --> 00:23:07,375
have been discovered
that date to 5900 BC.

406
00:23:07,458 --> 00:23:11,750
And perhaps the most
mysterious artifacts of all

407
00:23:11,833 --> 00:23:13,958
are the large-eyed clay figures

408
00:23:14,042 --> 00:23:16,208
found in Tell Brak, Syria,

409
00:23:16,208 --> 00:23:19,667
that are more
than 5,500 years old.

410
00:23:20,833 --> 00:23:23,958
PAGLIARULO:
You have the figurines that were
unearthed at Tell Brak,

411
00:23:24,042 --> 00:23:26,458
and they have large eyes,

412
00:23:26,542 --> 00:23:29,792
and they are very,
very much reminiscent,

413
00:23:29,875 --> 00:23:32,167
in some cases if not identical,

414
00:23:32,208 --> 00:23:34,417
to the image of aliens,
of Greys.

415
00:23:34,500 --> 00:23:37,625
When we think of ET,
the image that comes to mind

416
00:23:37,708 --> 00:23:39,583
is always the really large eyes.

417
00:23:39,583 --> 00:23:41,625
They are very, very reminiscent

418
00:23:41,708 --> 00:23:44,667
of even ET himself
from the movie.

419
00:23:47,583 --> 00:23:49,625
HOROWITZ:
Tens of thousands
of these objects

420
00:23:49,708 --> 00:23:51,667
have been recovered,

421
00:23:51,792 --> 00:23:53,583
and it's enormously intriguing

422
00:23:53,667 --> 00:23:56,000
to find this similarity
of design

423
00:23:56,083 --> 00:23:59,042
in objects among ancient people
who were separated

424
00:23:59,042 --> 00:24:02,333
by vast differences
in culture, custom, language.

425
00:24:02,375 --> 00:24:05,583
PAGLIARULO:
Were these mythological ideas,

426
00:24:05,708 --> 00:24:10,875
or did they come from
actual experiences with aliens,

427
00:24:10,958 --> 00:24:13,833
who were then perceived
to be sky gods?

428
00:24:13,917 --> 00:24:16,750
NARRATOR:
Is it possible
that the gods depicted

429
00:24:16,833 --> 00:24:20,333
in many ancient talismans
are representations

430
00:24:20,417 --> 00:24:23,208
of otherworldly beings
that our ancestors

431
00:24:23,292 --> 00:24:25,833
actually encountered?

432
00:24:25,958 --> 00:24:29,583
Ancient astronaut theorists
say yes.

433
00:24:29,667 --> 00:24:32,958
And as further evidence,
point to special talismans

434
00:24:33,042 --> 00:24:35,208
that feature writings
and symbols

435
00:24:35,292 --> 00:24:39,583
said to have been sent down
from the heavens.

436
00:24:45,708 --> 00:24:48,750
NARRATOR:
Sanliurfa, Turkey.

437
00:24:48,833 --> 00:24:51,583
Here, on a rocky mountaintop,

438
00:24:51,708 --> 00:24:54,750
stands one of the oldest
and most astonishing

439
00:24:54,833 --> 00:25:00,333
archaeological sites
in the world: Gobekli Tepe.

440
00:25:00,458 --> 00:25:02,875
This ancient megalithic complex

441
00:25:02,958 --> 00:25:05,167
features nearly
two dozen enormous

442
00:25:05,250 --> 00:25:07,583
T-shaped limestone pillars

443
00:25:07,667 --> 00:25:11,208
and has been dated
to roughly 10,000 BC,

444
00:25:11,292 --> 00:25:13,500
long before
the first known writing

445
00:25:13,625 --> 00:25:16,167
or the invention of the wheel.

446
00:25:17,417 --> 00:25:19,792
Gobekli Tepe
features many carvings

447
00:25:19,875 --> 00:25:22,458
that include depictions
of animals,

448
00:25:22,542 --> 00:25:24,792
human hands,

449
00:25:24,875 --> 00:25:28,292
and intricately
designed symbols.

450
00:25:28,375 --> 00:25:31,667
But most intriguing
to ancient astronaut theorists

451
00:25:31,750 --> 00:25:34,875
is a carving of three handbags.

452
00:25:36,875 --> 00:25:41,375
The oldest symbols in all
iconography is the handbag.

453
00:25:41,458 --> 00:25:44,458
When we go back to Gobekli Tepe,

454
00:25:44,542 --> 00:25:47,292
12,000 years old,
we find a carving

455
00:25:47,375 --> 00:25:48,625
of these three handbags

456
00:25:48,708 --> 00:25:50,833
that appear above
this bird-like creature.

457
00:25:50,875 --> 00:25:54,000
And what's fascinating
about this is that you can find

458
00:25:54,083 --> 00:25:56,542
carvings of similar handbags
about 400 miles

459
00:25:56,625 --> 00:25:58,958
to the south, where
the ancient Sumerians lived.

460
00:25:59,042 --> 00:26:01,000
And there, the handbags are held

461
00:26:01,042 --> 00:26:03,250
by these winged figures
with bird-like heads

462
00:26:03,333 --> 00:26:05,208
called Anunnaki.

463
00:26:05,208 --> 00:26:08,500
We find them at Tula, in Mexico.

464
00:26:08,542 --> 00:26:11,000
What is the meaning
of this handbag?

465
00:26:12,042 --> 00:26:16,167
All around the world,
on many carvings and figurines

466
00:26:16,250 --> 00:26:21,083
and drawings,
you see these ancient deities

467
00:26:21,167 --> 00:26:24,708
holding on to
some sort of a handbag.

468
00:26:24,708 --> 00:26:28,500
This motif of a handbag
exists worldwide,

469
00:26:28,583 --> 00:26:30,833
in pretty much
all ancient cultures.

470
00:26:34,708 --> 00:26:36,625
NARRATOR:
Is it merely coincidence

471
00:26:36,708 --> 00:26:40,000
that this mysterious
handbag motif is repeated

472
00:26:40,042 --> 00:26:43,917
around the world and
in a vast range of cultures?

473
00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:47,708
Ancient astronaut theorists
say no.

474
00:26:47,792 --> 00:26:49,833
And some suggest that these bags

475
00:26:49,958 --> 00:26:53,000
have a connection to talismans.

476
00:26:53,083 --> 00:26:55,750
HENRY:
One theory is that
these handbags

477
00:26:55,833 --> 00:26:59,833
are containers of talismans
brought by the gods

478
00:26:59,875 --> 00:27:03,000
that contain all the wisdom
of the universe.

479
00:27:03,042 --> 00:27:07,583
The ancient Sumerian texts tell
us that these handbags contained

480
00:27:07,667 --> 00:27:09,750
the me tablets of the gods.

481
00:27:09,833 --> 00:27:11,500
These are the tablets
of destiny.

482
00:27:11,625 --> 00:27:13,125
The tablets of civilization.

483
00:27:13,208 --> 00:27:16,125
The tablets that contain
all the working knowledge

484
00:27:16,208 --> 00:27:18,833
of the earthly world,
as well as the heavenly world.

485
00:27:18,958 --> 00:27:22,958
NARRATOR:
The Sumerian tablets
also tell of a figure

486
00:27:23,042 --> 00:27:27,208
named Adapa, who was
the bringer of civilization

487
00:27:27,333 --> 00:27:30,625
and carried a bag that contained
all the knowledge

488
00:27:30,708 --> 00:27:33,458
that humanity would ever need.

489
00:27:33,542 --> 00:27:36,208
They may have been,
literally, handbags,

490
00:27:36,292 --> 00:27:39,250
in that they contained
something very useful.

491
00:27:39,333 --> 00:27:42,375
The ancient priests,
almost across the board--

492
00:27:42,458 --> 00:27:44,958
we're talking ancient Egyptian,
Sumer, you name it--

493
00:27:45,042 --> 00:27:46,833
they, one way or another,

494
00:27:46,958 --> 00:27:49,292
would communicate,
they believed, with the gods

495
00:27:49,375 --> 00:27:52,000
or spirits, who would
give them information.

496
00:27:52,167 --> 00:27:56,792
And what if these handbags
contained something that was

497
00:27:56,875 --> 00:28:01,458
significant and highly
important to their rituals?

498
00:28:01,542 --> 00:28:05,833
NARRATOR:
While researchers can only
speculate as to the true meaning

499
00:28:05,917 --> 00:28:10,292
behind the handbag motif
found throughout the world,

500
00:28:10,292 --> 00:28:12,375
other talismans exist that,

501
00:28:12,458 --> 00:28:14,708
according to those
who create them,

502
00:28:14,792 --> 00:28:18,375
are directly inspired
by otherworldly beings.

503
00:28:19,917 --> 00:28:21,958
There's a special class
of talismans

504
00:28:22,042 --> 00:28:23,958
in East Asian traditions

505
00:28:24,042 --> 00:28:26,708
that are considered
to be the most powerful,

506
00:28:26,792 --> 00:28:29,000
and they are actually inscribed

507
00:28:29,042 --> 00:28:31,958
in a, uh, illegible language

508
00:28:32,042 --> 00:28:34,542
that is considered to be
the language of the gods.

509
00:28:34,625 --> 00:28:38,708
NARRATOR:
Known as fulu,
these talismans can be found

510
00:28:38,792 --> 00:28:42,292
in Taoist, Buddhist,
and Shinto traditions.

511
00:28:42,375 --> 00:28:45,958
Very little is known
about the origin of the fulu,

512
00:28:46,042 --> 00:28:48,042
and they are made
even more mysterious

513
00:28:48,167 --> 00:28:50,250
by the fact that
they feature script

514
00:28:50,333 --> 00:28:54,000
that does not belong
to any earthly language.

515
00:28:54,083 --> 00:28:57,750
Fulu are made by priests
who claim to receive visions

516
00:28:57,833 --> 00:29:00,208
of so-called "magic writing."

517
00:29:00,333 --> 00:29:04,167
Although the priests are not
able to comprehend this writing,

518
00:29:04,333 --> 00:29:06,708
they understand it
to be the language

519
00:29:06,792 --> 00:29:09,750
of the gods
and inscribe what they see

520
00:29:09,833 --> 00:29:12,958
on objects
such as coins or amulets.

521
00:29:14,417 --> 00:29:17,333
STEAVU:
They're typically made up
of commands or injunctions

522
00:29:17,375 --> 00:29:20,583
or requests addressed
to divine beings

523
00:29:20,667 --> 00:29:22,167
in their own language.

524
00:29:22,208 --> 00:29:25,458
They are revealed
spontaneously sometimes

525
00:29:25,542 --> 00:29:27,583
in dreams or through visions.

526
00:29:27,667 --> 00:29:30,833
And another feature of these

527
00:29:30,875 --> 00:29:34,208
extremely powerful talismans
is that they are adorned

528
00:29:34,292 --> 00:29:36,167
with constellations.

529
00:29:36,208 --> 00:29:41,250
And these function,
in some cases, as a way

530
00:29:41,375 --> 00:29:44,417
to call down the gods
from those stars.

531
00:29:45,917 --> 00:29:50,458
In other cases, they can
actually function as passports

532
00:29:50,542 --> 00:29:55,500
to an ecstatic journey from
Earth to the stars directly.

533
00:29:55,583 --> 00:29:59,500
The practitioner either leaves
their body to go directly

534
00:29:59,583 --> 00:30:02,917
to those stars or experiences
this through a series

535
00:30:03,042 --> 00:30:06,500
of very powerful
and inspirational visions.

536
00:30:06,583 --> 00:30:11,417
COLLINS:
Some of the most powerful
talismans are inscribed

537
00:30:11,500 --> 00:30:18,000
with messages received through
some kind of, uh, divine source.

538
00:30:18,083 --> 00:30:21,167
It's almost like
the higher intelligence

539
00:30:21,250 --> 00:30:23,958
is speaking to you directly.

540
00:30:25,125 --> 00:30:28,083
It would seem
that certain talismans--

541
00:30:28,167 --> 00:30:31,458
they could all be inspired
by extraterrestrials.

542
00:30:32,708 --> 00:30:36,917
NARRATOR:
If objects like the fulu and
the mysterious handbags depicted

543
00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:39,375
in various cultures
possess a real link

544
00:30:39,458 --> 00:30:43,375
to otherworldly beings,
then might they contain

545
00:30:43,458 --> 00:30:45,917
some type of hidden power?

546
00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:49,208
Perhaps further clues
can be found by examining

547
00:30:49,292 --> 00:30:53,250
a recent scientific experiment
that appeared to capture

548
00:30:53,250 --> 00:30:57,125
a thermal anomaly
triggered by a talisman.

549
00:31:07,417 --> 00:31:11,667
NARRATOR:
On Easter Sunday, thousands
gathered in St. Peter's Square

550
00:31:11,750 --> 00:31:14,542
bow their heads
as Pope Francis performs

551
00:31:14,625 --> 00:31:16,000
the Liturgy of the Eucharist

552
00:31:16,042 --> 00:31:18,833
and consecrates the offerings
of bread and wine.

553
00:31:18,875 --> 00:31:22,250
(speaking Latin)

554
00:31:22,333 --> 00:31:24,000
(bell chimes)

555
00:31:24,083 --> 00:31:27,250
NARRATOR:
According to
the Roman Catholic tradition,

556
00:31:27,333 --> 00:31:30,542
during the mass, the priest
is empowered by the prayers

557
00:31:30,625 --> 00:31:34,167
that energize the bread and
the wine such that they become

558
00:31:34,250 --> 00:31:37,750
transformed,
or transubstantiated,

559
00:31:37,833 --> 00:31:42,583
into the living presence of the
body and the blood of Christ.

560
00:31:42,667 --> 00:31:46,333
Transubstantiation is one
of the Catholic Church's

561
00:31:46,458 --> 00:31:48,000
most exalted mysteries.

562
00:31:48,083 --> 00:31:51,375
And Catholics believe that,
through this

563
00:31:51,500 --> 00:31:55,292
transubstantiation miracle,
or process, somehow

564
00:31:55,375 --> 00:32:00,250
these ordinary wafers
and ordinary wine become,

565
00:32:00,333 --> 00:32:04,583
as a matter of fact,
the blood and body of Jesus.

566
00:32:06,542 --> 00:32:08,667
NARRATOR:
In the example
of the Catholic Mass,

567
00:32:08,750 --> 00:32:11,292
the recitation
of the eucharist prayer

568
00:32:11,375 --> 00:32:15,333
is believed to infuse the bread
and wine with an outside energy.

569
00:32:17,042 --> 00:32:21,708
Similarly, many cultures
hold the belief that talismans

570
00:32:21,792 --> 00:32:26,958
can become energized through
spoken words or sacred sounds.

571
00:32:27,042 --> 00:32:29,000
Throughout all sorts
of cultures,

572
00:32:29,083 --> 00:32:33,042
ancient African cultures,
South American, Sumer,

573
00:32:33,125 --> 00:32:36,125
ancient Egypt, you name it,

574
00:32:36,208 --> 00:32:40,667
the power of the word
was quite something.

575
00:32:41,625 --> 00:32:45,042
Egyptians used magical words
over all the talismans.

576
00:32:45,167 --> 00:32:47,417
Talismans that they carried.

577
00:32:47,500 --> 00:32:49,667
Talismans that they buried
the dead with.

578
00:32:49,708 --> 00:32:51,417
All of these items

579
00:32:51,500 --> 00:32:55,625
would have magical words spoken
over them, chanted over them.

580
00:32:57,167 --> 00:33:00,667
In South Asian traditions, um,

581
00:33:00,750 --> 00:33:02,333
tantric Buddhism,

582
00:33:02,417 --> 00:33:06,292
for example or Hinduism, um,
and even Jainism,

583
00:33:06,375 --> 00:33:11,625
the power of the spoken word
is paramount.

584
00:33:11,708 --> 00:33:16,500
Words unlock divine potential
in the talismans.

585
00:33:18,167 --> 00:33:21,250
NARRATOR:
Spoken words and sacred sounds

586
00:33:21,375 --> 00:33:24,792
also play a critical role
in Native American rituals,

587
00:33:24,875 --> 00:33:30,542
especially in connection
to certain places or objects.

588
00:33:31,708 --> 00:33:34,583
YOUNG:
If you go to
Native American ceremonies,

589
00:33:34,667 --> 00:33:37,167
you see that repeating
certain phrases

590
00:33:37,292 --> 00:33:39,375
are essential to the ritual.

591
00:33:39,458 --> 00:33:41,333
The words are the conveyor.

592
00:33:41,417 --> 00:33:44,625
The word is the portal
to the sacred dimension.

593
00:33:44,708 --> 00:33:47,750
NARRATOR:
Is it possible
that certain words,

594
00:33:47,875 --> 00:33:50,292
when spoken, can imbue objects

595
00:33:50,375 --> 00:33:52,500
with talismanic power,

596
00:33:52,583 --> 00:33:56,000
perhaps unlocking gateways
to other dimensions,

597
00:33:56,083 --> 00:33:59,333
and even otherworldly beings?

598
00:33:59,417 --> 00:34:02,333
Ancient astronaut theorists
say yes

599
00:34:02,375 --> 00:34:05,167
and point to recent
experiments conducted

600
00:34:05,250 --> 00:34:08,708
at one of the most mysterious
sites in the world:

601
00:34:08,792 --> 00:34:11,292
Skinwalker Ranch.

602
00:34:12,333 --> 00:34:17,208
Located in Northern Utah,
this 512-acre property

603
00:34:17,333 --> 00:34:20,542
has been a hotbed
of UFO sightings

604
00:34:20,625 --> 00:34:24,458
and other mysterious phenomena
for more than a century.

605
00:34:25,542 --> 00:34:29,000
Today, a team of researchers,
which includes

606
00:34:29,083 --> 00:34:31,750
astrophysicist
Dr. Travis Taylor,

607
00:34:31,875 --> 00:34:36,250
is conducting scientific
experiments across the property,

608
00:34:36,333 --> 00:34:39,625
and has documented
numerous startling anomalies,

609
00:34:39,708 --> 00:34:43,792
including a number of
unidentified aerial phenomena.

610
00:34:43,875 --> 00:34:46,667
-Hey, look, J.P., right there!
-Yep. I see it.

611
00:34:46,750 --> 00:34:48,750
NARRATOR:
Some of which have vanished
into thin air.

612
00:34:48,833 --> 00:34:51,458
MAN:
It's gone.

613
00:34:51,542 --> 00:34:53,833
NARRATOR:
According to the traditions

614
00:34:53,875 --> 00:34:58,250
of the Indigenous Navajo people
in the Uintah Basin,

615
00:34:58,333 --> 00:35:01,042
the phenomena that occurs
on Skinwalker Ranch

616
00:35:01,167 --> 00:35:04,833
is actually related
to interdimensional portals.

617
00:35:04,875 --> 00:35:08,500
And they believe that
by utilizing certain words

618
00:35:08,583 --> 00:35:12,333
and sound frequencies,
particularly in conjunction

619
00:35:12,375 --> 00:35:16,500
with talismanic objects,
these portals can be opened.

620
00:35:16,625 --> 00:35:22,333
Within Native American culture,
there are music, there's chants.

621
00:35:22,375 --> 00:35:26,083
There's things that are done
at a certain frequency,

622
00:35:26,167 --> 00:35:29,542
and we believe that
it's very possible

623
00:35:29,625 --> 00:35:33,583
that different frequencies
can open portals

624
00:35:33,708 --> 00:35:35,542
to other places.

625
00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:40,500
NARRATOR:
In 2022,

626
00:35:40,542 --> 00:35:44,125
an organization
of Indigenous tribal members

627
00:35:44,208 --> 00:35:47,042
known as Blazing Bear

628
00:35:47,125 --> 00:35:49,167
were invited to Skinwalker Ranch

629
00:35:49,250 --> 00:35:52,000
in order to perform
an ancient song ritual

630
00:35:52,083 --> 00:35:55,167
near a megalithic spiral
of boulders.

631
00:35:55,250 --> 00:35:59,333
A formation that was created
centuries ago

632
00:35:59,375 --> 00:36:02,500
and is believed to hold
talismanic power.

633
00:36:02,542 --> 00:36:06,708
DOVER:
A circle of stones
that were purposely

634
00:36:06,708 --> 00:36:09,708
set up in a circle
could be a portal area.

635
00:36:09,708 --> 00:36:11,917
Maybe with all our
scientific instruments,

636
00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:13,583
we can nail it down
a little better.

637
00:36:18,833 --> 00:36:21,792
NARRATOR:
As night falls
on Skinwalker Ranch,

638
00:36:21,917 --> 00:36:25,250
the Blazing Bear drummers
continue their song ritual

639
00:36:25,333 --> 00:36:27,375
near the spiral of boulders.

640
00:36:27,500 --> 00:36:30,292
The investigative team
filmed the event

641
00:36:30,375 --> 00:36:32,250
using a thermal camera.

642
00:36:32,375 --> 00:36:34,583
-Right there.
-NARRATOR:
And almost immediately,

643
00:36:34,708 --> 00:36:37,167
they spotted an anomaly.

644
00:36:37,250 --> 00:36:39,125
TAYLOR:
Well, when they started singing,

645
00:36:39,125 --> 00:36:41,042
the temperature
literally changed.

646
00:36:41,125 --> 00:36:43,667
Look at the top of the mesa!

647
00:36:43,708 --> 00:36:45,417
Eric, the stone circle
is where it's heating up

648
00:36:45,542 --> 00:36:48,292
-on top of the mesa.
-Are you kidding me?

649
00:36:48,375 --> 00:36:50,833
TAYLOR:
You should see this.
This is fascinating.

650
00:36:50,917 --> 00:36:53,208
Right there-- that's
where the stone circle is.

651
00:36:53,333 --> 00:36:55,750
And it's heating up.
Look how hot it's getting.

652
00:37:02,375 --> 00:37:05,333
NARRATOR:
Is it possible that
a spiral of boulders

653
00:37:05,417 --> 00:37:07,500
was imbued
with talismanic powers

654
00:37:07,583 --> 00:37:11,292
by the words and sounds
of an ancient, sacred ritual?

655
00:37:11,375 --> 00:37:13,792
(singing)

656
00:37:13,875 --> 00:37:17,500
NARRATOR:
While many cultures
throughout history have believed

657
00:37:17,583 --> 00:37:21,708
that sounds can infuse objects
with otherworldly powers,

658
00:37:21,833 --> 00:37:25,333
there are those who suggest
even more profound talismans

659
00:37:25,417 --> 00:37:29,917
can be created
from the remains of the dead.

660
00:37:35,833 --> 00:37:38,833
NARRATOR:
Clay figurines
believed to be sentient.

661
00:37:38,917 --> 00:37:42,250
Coins inscribed
with the language of the gods.

662
00:37:43,750 --> 00:37:48,875
A spiral of boulders said to
open an interdimensional portal.

663
00:37:50,042 --> 00:37:53,958
Many talismans are considered
to possess great power,

664
00:37:54,042 --> 00:37:58,833
but perhaps none more than
the remains of holy figures.

665
00:37:58,917 --> 00:38:01,542
McGOWAN:
Human remains have been used
as talismans

666
00:38:01,667 --> 00:38:03,500
since the beginning of time.

667
00:38:03,542 --> 00:38:06,250
In the last 2,000 years, we tend
to think of human remains

668
00:38:06,333 --> 00:38:08,417
in terms of relics--

669
00:38:08,500 --> 00:38:10,542
holy relics used primarily
by Christians,

670
00:38:10,625 --> 00:38:13,292
uh, in order to connect them
to the saints

671
00:38:13,375 --> 00:38:16,417
who they are praying to
as an intercessor

672
00:38:16,542 --> 00:38:18,417
between them and to God.

673
00:38:18,542 --> 00:38:21,792
PICKNETT:
It's the idea that
just being in the presence

674
00:38:21,875 --> 00:38:27,167
of this tiny bit of bone
is touching you with the divine.

675
00:38:27,292 --> 00:38:30,250
The tip of
a little finger belonging

676
00:38:30,333 --> 00:38:32,500
to Saint John the Baptist,
for example,

677
00:38:32,625 --> 00:38:35,500
has become hotly contested
over the centuries.

678
00:38:36,708 --> 00:38:40,292
NARRATOR:
Because saints and other
holy figures are seen

679
00:38:40,375 --> 00:38:42,333
as transcending humanity

680
00:38:42,417 --> 00:38:44,708
and having a connection
to the divine,

681
00:38:44,833 --> 00:38:48,917
their remains are considered
to hold special power.

682
00:38:49,958 --> 00:38:54,167
CHILDRESS:
With these talismans,
it's as if that energy,

683
00:38:54,250 --> 00:38:57,500
that power
that these people had,

684
00:38:57,625 --> 00:39:01,542
is still embedded
in pieces of their body,

685
00:39:01,625 --> 00:39:04,125
such as bones or skulls or hair.

686
00:39:04,208 --> 00:39:08,167
NARRATOR:
While it may sound
like a primitive notion--

687
00:39:08,250 --> 00:39:11,083
that a bone fragment
or a piece of fabric

688
00:39:11,167 --> 00:39:13,208
retains a connection
to the person

689
00:39:13,292 --> 00:39:15,042
it once belonged to--

690
00:39:15,125 --> 00:39:18,917
some researchers suggest
it is not so far-fetched

691
00:39:19,042 --> 00:39:22,917
and point to the modern-day
scientific concept

692
00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:25,542
of quantum entanglement.

693
00:39:25,625 --> 00:39:28,083
Quantum entanglement says that
if two objects' particles

694
00:39:28,167 --> 00:39:30,583
were ever connected,
they're forever connected.

695
00:39:30,708 --> 00:39:35,333
And you can link with a being
clear across the universe

696
00:39:35,458 --> 00:39:39,458
through an object
through quantum entanglement.

697
00:39:39,542 --> 00:39:43,500
MICHIO KAKU:
Quantum entanglement is based
on the idea that electrons

698
00:39:43,583 --> 00:39:46,083
are like waves,
and if I have two electrons

699
00:39:46,208 --> 00:39:50,042
right next to each other, they
wave simultaneously, coherently.

700
00:39:50,167 --> 00:39:52,333
If I separate them,

701
00:39:52,417 --> 00:39:55,125
there's a invisible
umbilical cord

702
00:39:55,208 --> 00:39:57,000
that connects these two,

703
00:39:57,125 --> 00:40:00,875
even if I separate them,
to the ends of the universe.

704
00:40:00,958 --> 00:40:03,750
HENRY:
Is that what talismans
are ultimately all about--

705
00:40:03,875 --> 00:40:06,417
some kind of
quantum entanglement device?

706
00:40:06,500 --> 00:40:10,792
A god originally touched
or possessed an object

707
00:40:10,875 --> 00:40:14,458
and it still has the energy
of that god.

708
00:40:14,542 --> 00:40:15,875
I think it's very possible.

709
00:40:17,917 --> 00:40:20,750
NARRATOR:
Could there really be
a scientific explanation

710
00:40:20,875 --> 00:40:23,500
behind the ancient notion
that objects

711
00:40:23,542 --> 00:40:27,417
can possess a connection
to some otherworldly power?

712
00:40:28,708 --> 00:40:32,125
And if so, was this taught
to our ancestors

713
00:40:32,208 --> 00:40:34,458
by extraterrestrial visitors?

714
00:40:34,542 --> 00:40:39,125
PAGLIARULO:
The mythology brings us back
to this idea of the gods.

715
00:40:39,208 --> 00:40:42,583
Were these mythological ideas

716
00:40:42,708 --> 00:40:48,708
or did they come from
actual experiences with aliens

717
00:40:48,792 --> 00:40:51,667
who were then perceived
to be sky gods,

718
00:40:51,750 --> 00:40:55,500
aliens who came forth
and communicated?

719
00:40:55,625 --> 00:40:59,000
CHILDRESS:
It may be that, really,
in the past,

720
00:40:59,042 --> 00:41:02,375
the early talismans
were ET technology,

721
00:41:02,500 --> 00:41:05,667
real devices
that could do things.

722
00:41:05,667 --> 00:41:09,583
We see talismans
in pretty much any culture

723
00:41:09,667 --> 00:41:13,417
in modern day society
because of belief.

724
00:41:13,500 --> 00:41:15,208
It is faith in an object

725
00:41:15,292 --> 00:41:20,917
that it is imbued with some sort
of a divine or celestial power.

726
00:41:21,042 --> 00:41:23,833
And you have to ask
the question, why?

727
00:41:23,958 --> 00:41:26,708
I think that has to do
with extraterrestrials

728
00:41:26,792 --> 00:41:29,542
that visited Earth
in a remote past.

729
00:41:29,708 --> 00:41:32,667
NARRATOR:
Could it be that the talismans

730
00:41:32,708 --> 00:41:35,792
we continue to carry with us
and revere

731
00:41:35,875 --> 00:41:39,083
provide a connection
to an incredible past

732
00:41:39,167 --> 00:41:42,667
when ancient people
encountered visitors

733
00:41:42,750 --> 00:41:44,667
from other worlds?

734
00:41:44,750 --> 00:41:48,917
And if so, is this connection
merely symbolic

735
00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:52,208
or might these objects
of veneration

736
00:41:52,333 --> 00:41:54,625
possess a profound power

737
00:41:54,708 --> 00:41:57,750
that we are not yet
equipped to understand?

738
00:41:57,833 --> 00:42:00,542
Perhaps it is through talismans

739
00:42:00,667 --> 00:42:02,917
that our
extraterrestrial ancestors

740
00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:06,875
have remained
among us all along.

741
00:42:08,292 --> 00:42:10,042
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