ATLANTIS SEARCH

The Search For Atlantis
A two-hour documentary about Atlantis was aired on A&E cable television, narrated by Ted Danson. Everyone who viewed the show thought it was a "nightmarish" collection of non-truths and omissions obviously designed to abort Atlantis research and keep the truth about the lost continent as a myth.
The show was hastily made and absolutely flawed. Here are some of the errors.
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6) One-half hour was devoted to Hitler and his desire to turn Germany into Atlantis, using Atlantis as the reason for the Holocaust. We know that Hitler was intrigued by Atlantis but the causes of the Holocaust were complex and only marginally related to the Atlantis story. Both Edgar Cayce and Madame Helena Blavatsky were made to look like fools. Statements made about these two mystics were totally in error and very defamatory. The daughter of the deceased Greek archaeologist Marinatos was shown on camera, giving the wrong dates for Santorini (Thera) and claiming it was not Atlantis. No mention was made of Marinatos' mentor, Dr. Angeles Galanopolous, a superb archaeologist, whose book in 1968 was irrefutable proof of the connection between Atlantis and Thera. Recent datings of Thera in "Archaeology" Magazine pre-date the statements made on the TV show by more than 3,000 years. That statement that if Atlantis exists, it is either in Bolivia or Antarctica (where it obviously is not). No mention was made of either Spain or Bimini where most Atlantis research has taken place. No mention was made of Dr. David Zink or the Cayce explorations at Bimini. Bimini was mentioned in one sentence, glossed over, and no photographs were displayed, even though ample film exists about this site. The documentary stated that Columbus was searching for Atlantis. This is untrue. Columbus was aware of Atlantis but his primary goal was to find new land for the Spanish crown. The show claimed that Plato made up his story about Atlantis because he was upset over the death of Socrates. There is absolutely no truth in this statement and it cannot be documented.There were other major errors and omissions. The show closed with a picture of the new Atlantis Hotel and Casino in the Bahamas showing a gambling table and hinting that this was probably what Atlantis was like.
Your editor appealed to A&E, to Ted Danson and to the two sponsors of the show, but no response was received.
UNQUOTEBy "other major errors and omissions" Dr. Asher is undoubtedly referring to the fact that A&E did not consult or interview her for this program. She's been claiming for years that she is going to produce her own movie or television program about Atlantis and finally reveal all, but she's never struck a deal with anybody despite her Hollywood connections.
She is a friend of actress-dancer Ann Miller, who was affiliated with this association at one time. Ann Miller accompanied Maxine to Cairo on an expedition to search for possible clues as to the location of the buried annals of Atlantis. They were wined and dined in style by the Mayor of Cairo and other notables, for the most part academics. They discovered nothing, but they sure did have a good time, sailing up and down the River Nile! As part of the trip, they invited flautist Paul Horn along.
He received permission from the Egyptian antiquities department to record some flute music inside the King's and Queen's Chambers of the Great Pyramid and the Second Pyramid. AMRA was partly behind the recording and marketing of this album. I have a copy (two-record volume), and it is some of the most breathtakingly beautiful music that I have ever heard.
The album set featured an insert, describing the expedition and the process of recording the music, in which Dr. Asher is shown photographed with Paul Horn at the Pyramid Complex. This album is probably no longer available. For your information, Paul Horn also recorded a live album in the Taj Mahal, which I have heard; but I think it pales compared to the acoustics of the Pyramids, where the internal echoes of the notes being played intermingle with the actual melody -- it is fascinating music and so totally pleasing to the ear and relaxing to the mind! Everybody who had a hand in that Pyramid flute project should be complimented and congratulated.
As for item 3 above, Dr. David Zink wrote a book titled The Stones Of Atlantis describing his research concerning the Bimini Blocks, as well as linking Atlantis to legends of "Pleiadian Gods" which are prevalent in Central and South America. This is an excellent book, and I have a copy. There is/was another undersea explorer named J. Manson Valentine who conducted similar research from his base in Miami. He has also been affiliated with Maxine and AMRA in past years.
As for Edgar Cayce, he is ultimately only another "channeler", nothing more nor less. His information must therefore be discounted, and it is surprising that Maxine continues to cite the Cayce Foundation. And one cannot even begin to put Cayce into the same intellectual category with Madame Blavatsky, if indeed that is what the program implied, as Maxine reported (see item 5).
Regarding item 4, I do not know what she is really referring to here. Her statements are confusing because she herself doesn't believe that Atlantis was Santorini. Her statement about the dating of the Thera/Santorini Cataclysm is equally obscure; Santorini is definitively dated to about 1500-1600 BCE -- there is no argument here at all from anyone.
In short, it is w-a-y over time for Dr. Maxine Asher to put up or shut up.