Incorrect Info?

[Ally.Madison]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_von_D%C3%A4niken


This wiki page doesn't paint a very pretty picture of Mr. Von Däniken.
Is all of the criticism section true?

This in particular -

"The man who he claimed showed him these alleged tunnels, Juan Moricz, told Der Spiegel that all of von Daniken's descriptions came from a long conversation and that the photos in the book had been 'fiddled'. Von Daniken eventually told Playboy that although he had seen the library and other places he'd described, he had also fabricated some of the events to add interest to his book."




I looked at the sources to read for myself the articles the information was taken from,BUT I could not find the Playboy article nor have I ever read William H. Jr Stiebing's book.
So just thought I'd bring this up in case any here has read either.
Thoughts?

[Gemini]

Wikipedia, and the "self appointed elite" mainstream scientific community in general, won't have positive things to say about Erich von Daniken or Ancient Astronauts Theorists.

Wikipedia doesn't paint a pretty picture of Sitchin, Childress, Cremo or even Giorgio.

Here's what it says about Giorgio, "is a consulting producer of the pseudoscientific program, Ancient Aliens".

Pseudoscientific ?!?!?!? And what do the archeologists say about how Puma Punku was built. Chicken bone cutting granite and diorite ? Or how the blocks were stacked, etc..........................................................

[Sagittarii]

I know it's ridiculous... like their [mainstream archeologists and the media] theories about the Bible, GOD and Jesus and theories about creation hold any water whatsoever. It's like the pot calling the kettle black.

They feel it's SO far fetched that intelligent beings once visited Earth but absolutely without a doubt they believe angels will materialize out of thin air and float down from the clouds or whatever. It's comical if you think about it.

[fotoguy]

I just bought a copy of the August 1974 Playboy on am-a-zon-dot-com that has the EvD interview. Haven't read it yet, but it is in there, on page 51.

[Ally.Madison]

I know wiki isn't 100% reliable. There's plenty of biased content.

I am mostly curious to find out if it's true that he 'fabricated' any part of his book/s.

I don't want to believe he did.

[Gemini]

I know wiki isn't 100% reliable. There's plenty of biased content.

I am mostly curious to find out if it's true that he 'fabricated' any part of his book/s.

I don't want to believe he did.

I don't know what is being claimed as being fabricated. Debunkers look for anything so they can then discredit the person entirely.

In EvD's books he presents the following:

- Ancient sites from around the world. Anyone can see the quarried off mountain tops at Nazca, megalithic sites, etc....

- Ancient mythology and legends from around the world. You can read the same texts and verify oral legends.

- Texts from religions from around the world. Anyone can read the same texts.

- Ancient texts from around the world. The source documents for religions and other texts not included in religions. You can read this also.

- Other artifacts, rock drawings, figurines such as the little gold airplanes (sorry, I mean flying fish !). Anyone can go verify them.

- And EvD proposes his theories on the above and more.

I'm leaving some stuff out but the above is the majority of evidence that supports the AAT.

Regarding fabricating stories, look at religions, governments and the mainstream scientific community.

[Ally.Madison]

I don't know what is being claimed as being fabricated.

Sorry,I only quoted part of the criticism section from the wiki page.
I assumed people would just go and read the whole thing themselves.

Anyway,it was this part

"In The Gold of the Gods von Daniken claimed to have been guided through artificial tunnels under Ecuador containing gold, strange statues and a library with metal tablets, which he wrote was evidence of ancient space visitors. The man who he claimed showed him these alleged tunnels, Juan Moricz, told Der Spiegel that all of von Daniken's descriptions came from a long conversation and that the photos in the book had been 'fiddled'. "

And that he supposedly admitted to fabricating events.



BTW,I've read all of EvD's books.
Just curious about this particular issue.

[fotoguy]

Keep in mind that Wikipedia is written by everyman. The integrity of the article could be in question here. I personally believe in EvD. He seems totally honest, to me. And a man doesn't work as hard as he has just to ruin his work with lies...would not make sense at all. I'll stand by EvD.

[Jeff Sheets]

Old accusations that have been answered pretty thoroughly in his latest book. I believe it is available at the LT bookstore.

-Jeff

[Ace Rimmer]

I know it's ridiculous... like their [mainstream archeologists and the media] theories about the Bible, GOD and Jesus and theories about creation hold any water whatsoever. It's like the pot calling the kettle black.

They feel it's SO far fetched that intelligent beings once visited Earth but absolutely without a doubt they believe angels will materialize out of thin air and float down from the clouds or whatever. It's comical if you think about it.

Absolutely, or people who believe there is a God someplace waiting for them so when they die they can be together, happily ever after, with all their dead friends and relatives. And yet they can't even consider the AA theory. Mind boggling!

[tony_latino]

To finally answer the original poster's question....

Yes, EVD has exaggerated on occasion - to make a point. He has indeed admitted to these moments of bad judgment. the playboy article is a good read - somone posted it on here and he is grilled by the interviwer pretty hard. EVD is HUMAN, like everyone else. Have we not all done stupid things when we were younger? YES! EVD clarified alot of things in the latest re-release of "Chariots of the Gods?". You must remember that the book was written over 40 years ago.

But here is one thing people tend to forget...

EVD may not be a mainstream scientist, BUT he is better than alot fo them because he can admit to mistakes - which is what being a man is all about - being able to stand up, admit your mistake and go on with the knowledg you learned from the mistake. EVD has jumped on evidence before, only to be proven wrong years later - but when he sees that hey - they were right and I was wrong - he admits to it and moves on, much the wiser next time.

The only thing that gets me is the overly zealous nay sayers that bring up his incarceration due to embezzlement. Ok - so he spent time in jail - SO WHAT!?! That was over 40 years ago - can the guy not catch a frigging break here? It is not fair to say that if someone spent time in jail, nothing they ever say or do should be given any weight. Well guess what? EINSTEIN spent time in jail too - for a very brief moment in time during world war 1 - when he was mistaken as a spy - should we throw out the theory of relativity? Ghandi was imprisioned - should we discount his efforts toward peace and the end of British rule entirely? Mandela - prisoner for a VERY long time, should we discount his work to end aparteid? These are just a few examples of course.

You see, people think our personalities are set in stone at birth and we never change. That has been proven wrong through psychology. Experts state that we change our basic value-structure every 5 - 8 years throug-out our lives. Meaning if you believe in the death penalty today, in 8 years you may completely believe the opposite side of the debate. EVD is no different. He made mistakes back then, but at least he admits to it and moves on.

[tony_latino]

oh oh - and to add to metaluna's observation about religious folks - this is a bumper sticker I once saw ....

"The Definition of Christianity:

The belief that a cosmic jewish zombie who was his own father, can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and drink his blood and telepathecally tell him that you accept him as your master, so that he can remove from your soul an evil force that is ever present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree, which in turn made child-birth unbearable, which also led to incest among her offspring."

and they call US crazy?

[Ace Rimmer]

oh oh - and to add to metaluna's observation about religious folks - this is a bumper sticker I once saw ....

"The Definition of Christianity:

The belief that a cosmic jewish zombie who was his own father, can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and drink his blood and telepathecally tell him that you accept him as your master, so that he can remove from your soul an evil force that is ever present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree, which in turn made child-birth unbearable, which also led to incest among her offspring."

and they call US crazy?

Oh dear whoever! What a crack up, but yeah, exactly!
People so blindly believe and yet won't cut us any slack or even entertain the idea there could be other possibilites.
Now when I do, rarely, bring it up. I say "well was God from around here ? Nope, then he was an Alien." Case Closed!

[upperworld]

Keep in mind that Wikipedia is written by everyman. The integrity of the article could be in question here. I personally believe in EvD. He seems totally honest, to me. And a man doesn't work as hard as he has just to ruin his work with lies...would not make sense at all. I'll stand by EvD.

That is a very important fact. I am no library of historical facts myself...yet i have edited 2 wikipedia pages in the past year. I changed false information to factual information but when i saw how easy it was, i realized that probably 50% of what is cataloged in wiki is bull@#$% and 50% is legit. You do the math. Don't use wiki as your sole source of research, make sure it corroborates with several more sources (preferably some non-internet ones) as a fail safe.

[Ace Rimmer]

Keep in mind that Wikipedia is written by everyman. The integrity of the article could be in question here. I personally believe in EvD. He seems totally honest, to me. And a man doesn't work as hard as he has just to ruin his work with lies...would not make sense at all. I'll stand by EvD.

That is a very important fact. I am no library of historical facts myself...yet i have edited 2 wikipedia pages in the past year. I changed false information to factual information but when i saw how easy it was, i realized that probably 50% of what is cataloged in wiki is bull@#$% and 50% is legit. You do the math. Don't use wiki as your sole source of research, make sure it corroborates with several more sources (preferably some non-internet ones) as a fail safe.

There is only the accepted version of whatever you are looking up too, no outside of the box thinking on wikipedia. I've more than a few times looked up something I know quite a lot about and don't find all or even the correct facts there.

[lunarwing]

I remember when it came out that Eric had fabricated a whole bunch of stuff. They had made up a lot of stuff about his research, and overblown some of the things he did cut corners on. I think he did a good job of setting the record straight and clearing his name.

Their goal was to discredit him.... and it worked.... but only with those who did not agree with him in the first place. His "students" were not phased by the slander... and he continues to this day gaining more and more followers of his great work.

[Nikola]

Generally, I don't care if any of the authors used a photoshop to fix few tiny wrinkles. Everybody does that: even when we speak, think or desire something - it's human.

What I am concern of is the CORE! And the core has proven to be all correct! All the questions, all the debunking of mainstream wood heads etc. The gods are real, they had been here, they move from A to B.. they have sexes, they can fly and use machines, build things from earthly matter(pyramids and others), we have traces of manipulated(fused) DNA, and thousands of their fingerprints all over the freaking planet!

And if there is a war between truth seekers like Deniken and those mainstream slimy pieces of worm-ridden filth - they had lost a long time ago - somewhere between first and tenth question mark in "Chariots of the Gods".
So all they have left is the little freedom to throw sticks and stones out of their dark holes in the mud.

[Ace Rimmer]

The sort of reminds me of when Doug and Dave said they were making the crop circles, or did make some. So ever since then, if you mention crop circles to anybody, well anybody who doesn't know their arse from a hole in the ground, they just say, "Yeah those two old guys made them".

I know it is still up for debate about who or what is making them, but it is not a couple of old coots with a board and some string.

Well my round about way of making my point is, even if EvD or anybody in the AAT field makes one false move, it will be jumped on, they will focus on whatever it is to discredit them. Because about all mainstream experts have going for them is the innate ability to redicule us.

Or as Nikola so eloquently put it: "So all they have left is the little freedom to throw sticks and stones out of their dark holes in the mud." I love it!

[lunarwing]

You both had great points in his defense..... (glad I'm on your side)

Here's another one. Even if one out of all those hundreds of thousands of UFO sightings and encounters are real, just one.... it would still be the most important event in the history of mankind.

But those that either have an agenda to hide the truth, or have no imagination and are frightened of the prospects of a alien presence..... will constantly point to obvious hoaxs and misidentifications as proof that UFO's do not exist.

[siren13]

I totally agree with leaving EVD alone! In my day job i work with people that need to find work and my job as a public servant is to assist these folks, and most are ex-cons and you learn early on in my work who is telling you the truth! He seems totally sincere to me. I think he is great and seems fun! He actually reminds me of my uncle. =) I would love to buy him a drink=) But I have to agree with giving him some credit.

[Moon]

If one reads Erich von Daniken's "History is Wrong", he gives his side of the story of what happened. He did make some mistakes, but he was much younger as that was over 40 years ago.

Wikipedia is not the best source for any alternative theories as they do scalp jobs on anyone who espouses a theory or idea not in the mainstream. Lloyd Pye has been having an ongoing war with them as they refuse to correct their article about him.

[Bob137]

EVD's work has helped to open up many minds from the mainstream dogma BS of our history, that has been so brainwashed into so many! So, yeah I agree with everyone else on here, that cat just won't fly! Hey, do cat's fly? I don't think so! Anyway, I love this site, and you people, and the way you think! You are all just so cute, I want to pinch your cheeks, and Oh I better not say anymore about that! I am awaiting the day I can buy a flying saucer, and do a fly by the universities, with a banner flapping behind it stating, I told you so you nimwits, go get a real job, or put your head betwtween your legs, and kiss you a$$ goodbye!