Here are five more definitions for you to contemplate, plus one incomplete entry. It’s too bad we don’t have John’s thoughts on hypnotism, which was such an important part of the abductee culture. If you’re interested in inner-earth theories, I recommend Walter Kafton-Minkel’s fine historical survey Subterranean Worlds, published by the late lamented Loompanics in 1989. It’s out of print now, but maybe you’ll get lucky. As I recall, John was impressed with it, and curious about the author, who was unknown in Fortean circles. And John too received letters from the “International Bankers”; see here for an example.
Thank you for recommending the book Subterranean Worlds. The reader can find it for free on Syracuse archive.org in several formats, including PDF.
Interesting that UFO investigators received those letters from “International Bankers.” People like Jacques Valleé and many others also received letters from supposed aliens from planet Ummo. The Ummo hoax was created by Spanish psychopath José Luis Jordán Peña and perpetuated by others for decades.
Comment by Mestiere — June 16, 2022 @ 12:55 pm
I followed the link to the “International Bankers” letter. Maybe it’s just my weird sense of humor but that made me laugh. The idea that the secret group that controls the world, seemingly without leaving any traces or connections to themselves, would send a letter that had “International Bankers” in the heading seemed too outlandish to take seriously. John certainly led an interesting life.
Comment by Clarence Carlson — June 16, 2022 @ 1:36 pm
John Symmes was not the first to propose a hollow earth theory; Edmund Halley did, more than a century before, for example.
Comment by Paul B Thompson — June 16, 2022 @ 3:46 pm
Thanks to Mestiere for the archive.org link to Subterranean Worlds.And as hoaxy as the UMMO events seem to be, I witnessed a craft in 1979 with the UMMO symbol underneath. I hadn’t heard of UMMO at the time and thought it strange that this craft had what looked to be the astrological symbol for planet Uranus (minus the little circle on the bottom). My first thought was it might be a set of large doors, but the short line crossing the other three lines didn’t make sense in that case. The craft drifted over quietly just above the treetops and was glowing orange, the color of hot iron just pulled from a fire. I didn’t learn the UMMO story until much later.
Comment by Marsh — June 17, 2022 @ 10:51 am
Thanks for the link! I’m glad to hear it’s so easily available. It’s one of the best books I’ve seen on the subject.
Comment by Doug — June 17, 2022 @ 12:03 pm
John didn’t take it seriously either. But he was understandably curious about who was writing them.
Comment by Doug — June 17, 2022 @ 12:04 pm
Many earlier cultures also believed in some kind of underworld: Hades, Tartaros, Hell, etc. It’s an ancient idea.
Comment by Doug — June 17, 2022 @ 12:20 pm
All of which makes the story even more complicated!
Comment by Doug — June 17, 2022 @ 12:21 pm
Hi, Marsh. Your sighting of the UFO with the Ummo symbol sounds awesome. I remember reading that the ten-foot giants that appeared in the Voronezh sighting in Russia in 1989 also had the Ummo symbol. I think it’s because the phenomenon reflects back to us our own culture, even our UFO culture. Some sightings involve hilarious UFOs that look straight out of a ’50s movie. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the sightings often involved objects that looked like slightly futuristic dirigibles and airplanes, even rockets. It’s as if “they” want to keep us confused about what they are. Like Jacques Vallée says, “the phenomenon denies itself.”
Comment by Mestiere — June 17, 2022 @ 1:07 pm
Mestiere… I agree with you about the phenomenon reflecting back at us. In Operation Trojan Horse John even mentions mystery cargo planes and phantom helicopter sightings. And he says, “The thousands of sightings of phantom dirigibles and mysterious airplanes from 1896 to 1938 provide us with a substantial body of evidence which indicates that the phenomenon is actually flexible and that it tailors itself to adopt acceptable forms for the time periods in which it operates.” That UMMO-marked craft might be included in this is certainly possible.
Comment by Marsh — June 17, 2022 @ 4:27 pm