According to Biblical legend, humanity was in a state of paradise until Adam and Eve ate fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Although this story is often taken literally, the narrative was written during a time period when much of the literature was metaphorical in nature. Many details suggest the story is symbolic, such as a talking snake, and the strange name of a tree with \u201cforbidden fruit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Assuming the story is symbolic, the Biblical account leaves room for various interpretations. Fortunately, there are other versions of the creation story that can be explored for additional insight. By investigating these accounts, we can get a clearer idea about what caused the fall of mankind. In doing so, we will not only be in a better position to understand the purpose of life but also the key to our own salvation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe serpent said to the woman: \u2018God knows that when you eat the fruit your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.\u2019\u201d<\/em> \u2013 Genesis 3:4-5<\/p>\n Christianity\u2019s story of creation comes from Genesis, the first book of the Bible. Although its creation story is similar to that of ancient mythology (which we will explore shortly), Christianity has traditionally assumed that the creation story should be taken literally.<\/p>\n However, the Bible\u2019s main euphemism for having sex is to \u201cknow\u201d another person, while the \u201cforbidden fruit\u201d grows on the Tree of \u201cKnowledge.\u201d This suggests that the knowledge that led to the fall of man might have been some sort of sex act. The question thus becomes: what type of behavior would have led to humanity\u2019s (temporary) downfall and why?<\/p>\n Once upon of time, God created everything in the universe, including the planet Earth. God further created all living creatures, including Adam, the first man. The all occurred in six \u201cdays,\u201d and on the seventh day, God rested.<\/p>\n Then God decided Adam needed a companion, and thus created the first woman (Eve) using a rib from Adam\u2019s body. Adam and Eve were instructed by God not to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, with the consequence of doing so being death. (Note that this implies that Adam and Eve are immortal at this time.)<\/p>\n At some point, the devil (in the form of a snake) comes to Eve and tells her that she will not<\/em> die by eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Instead \u2013 he claims \u2013 she will gain wisdom that will make her as powerful as God. Eve thus decides to eat the fruit, and then gives the fruit to Adam as well. For their disobedience, God exiles both from the Garden of Eden and places cherubim to guard the gates to prevent Adam and Eve from reentering.<\/p>\n Because of Eve\u2019s disobedience, God \u201ccurses\u201d all future generations of womankind with the pain of childbirth. Adam, however, blames his actions on Eve and thus escapes any special punishment. After leaving the Garden of Eden, Adam and his wife have sex (Adam \u201cknows\u201d his wife\u201d), which results in the birth of their first son named Cain.<\/p>\n Note that Adam and Eve did not have children until after being expelled from the garden. If we are to take this story literally, it implies that humans are only alive today because of the fall of man.<\/p>\n Despite the fact that Adam and Eve both disobey God, only Eve (and all future women) are given a special punishment. This doesn\u2019t really make sense, but it does give the story a folk tale conclusion of \u201cthis is why women suffer pain during childbirth.\u201d<\/p>\n In the Bible, we are told that after leaving the Garden of Eden, God gave Adam and Eve \u201ccoats of skin,\u201d which possibly symbolizes physical bodies. This suggests that the earliest humans may not have originally been physical beings (an idea that Christianity does not recognize).<\/p>\n When God originally created man, he created male AND female. It is very clear that this happens before God created Eve. The Christian mythology offers no explanation for this apparent error in the storyline.<\/p>\n This version does not explain where the serpent came from or why he (or she) is in the Garden of Eden. In general, there was no reason for an unconditionally loving God to have created a devil. The only explanation for the devil (in the Christian Bible) is found in the last book called Revelations, which states that a war broke out between the angels and a serpent, which resulted in the serpent being hurled down to Earth. But the serpent then declares war on the followers of Jesus, which means the serpent could not have been on Earth at the time of Adam and Eve (without using twisted logic).<\/p>\n In the Hebrew text, the translation for \u201cGod\u201d is \u201cElohim,\u201d a word that can be either singular or plural. In Genesis, it states, \u201cAnd God said, Let US make man in our image.\u201d God also says \u201cBehold, the man is become as one of Us, to know good and evil.\u201d<\/em> The use of the word \u201cus\u201d implies that there was more than one god involved in the creation process. In Psalm 82 it states: \u201cFor ye are gods (Elohim), sons of the Most High.\u201d This would suggest that there is a hierarchy of gods, and the Creators of the Earth are offspring of the Supreme Being. The identity of the Elohim will be explored further in other versions of the creation myth.<\/p>\n The word \u201ccherubim\u201d is a Hebrew word that is used to describe a type of angel. Christianity also recognizes the existence of Seraphim, archangels, and angels. While Christianity denies the existence of a hierarchy of gods, it does have a hierarchy of angels, which is potentially a derivation of the former. This would explain, for example, why Archangel Michael is the \u201cgod of protection\u201d and Archangel Raphael is the \u201cgod of healing.\u201d<\/p>\n There is no explanation as to why the Tree of Knowledge is in the Garden of Eden in the first place. If it really was so important for Adam and Eve to not eat from it, then why is it in the garden? A possible explanation is that Adam and Eve did something that was \u201cwrong\u201d but inevitable. This detail could explain why Christianity sometimes claims human nature is sinful by default.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, mankind is too blind and ignorant to truly understand the secrets of the Torah and realize that the \u2018beasts of the field and fowl of heaven\u2019 symbolize the \u2018unlearned.\u2019 \u2013 <\/em>paraphrased from The Zohar in English<\/em> by Tzvee Zahavy<\/p>\n Judaism and Christianity have similar creation stories (which in Judaism is found in their sacred book called the Torah). The Jewish mystics believe that the stories of the Bible are symbolic and must not be taken literally. To better understand the symbolism, the Jewish mystics have a book called the Zohar which provides interpretations of the Torah.<\/p>\n In discussing the creation story, the Zohar does provide an explanation for the creation of evil. The idea presented is that God has a male and female aspect. The male aspect, symbolized by the sun, is the \u201cgreater light.\u201d The female aspect, symbolized by the moon, is the \u201clesser light.\u201d The \u201cmoon\u201d does not have its own light, but instead reflects the light of the \u201csun.\u201d Thus, the male aspect of God contains only light, while the female aspect contains both light and darkness (good and evil), depending on whether the female aspect is united with the male.<\/p>\n The Supreme God created the heavens and Earth via the cooperation of its male and female aspects. The male aspect gave the command, and the female aspect \u201cbirthed\u201d the creation. At a certain point, the female aspect (called Elohim) attempted to make a creation without the male aspect of God. The result was the creation of a serpent (the devil), which contained no light.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, God creates Adam, a human with both a male \u201cside\u201d and a female \u201cside.\u201d Adam is \u201cplanted\u201d by God in the Garden of Eden. Later, God cuts Adam in half to produce opposite sexes: a male (Adam) and a female (Eve). In the Garden of Eden, there is a Tree of Life (which makes humans immortal) and a Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (which leads to death).<\/p>\n In the story, the serpent comes to Eve and convinces her to partake of the Tree of Knowledge, which is forbidden. Eve then convinces Adam to do the same. As a result, they are cast out of the Garden of Eden for disobedience, and thus become mortal. Due to Eve\u2019s role, womankind is forever more punished with menstruation.<\/p>\n After leaving the Garden of Eden, Eve has sex with the demon Samuel, who comes to her while riding on the back of the serpent. This union resulted in the birth of Cain, who is 100% dark\/evil. Before Adam has repented for his transgression (of eating the fruit), he and Eve have sex, which results in the birth of Abel (who is half good and half evil). Later Cain becomes jealous of Abel\u2019s wife and murders Abel.<\/p>\n After Adam repents for disobeying God, he and Eve have sex again. The resulting child is the reincarnation of Abel. This time, he is 100% good, and is called Seth. The offspring of Cain become the Gentiles.<\/p>\n Later, the children of Cain (AKA the sons of God or the Nephilim) have sex with the progeny of Adam (the daughters of men) to produce the \u201cmixed multitudes.\u201d The serpent also creates offspring from itself which become demons.<\/p>\n In the Zohar, Adam is said to represent the nation of Israel. The Tree of Life represents the Torah (i.e. righteous living). The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil represent the Gentiles. The garden represents heaven (a reward for righteous living). In ancient times, being cast out of the Garden of Eden symbolized the Jews being taken captive by other nations.<\/p>\n The Zohar points out that menstruation as a process that keeps women temporarily separated from their husbands. Orthodox Judaism believes that it is a spiritual necessity for a woman to be united with a husband. Thus, the punishment handed to Eve by God could be perceived as spiritual in nature.<\/p>\n One major break from Christianity is this version\u2019s claim that Cain\u2019s father was the devil or a demon (as opposed to Adam). This hints at the fact that Eve\u2019s consumption of the fruit and her sexual union with the \u201cdemon\u201d are actually the same event.<\/p>\n The explanation of how evil came into existence appears to use \u201cbackwards logic.\u201d Specifically, the nature of the creation (the moon) is used to explain the nature of the creator (the female aspect of God). Therefore, we are left with the assumption that a part of God must be intrinsically evil. The fact that the god of the Torah is a jealous God is evidence of this theory.<\/p>\n \u201cBe ye therefore as wise as serpents\u201d<\/em> \u2013 Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Matthew<\/em><\/p>\n The serpent is a symbol that is found in practically every culture and belief system, ancient and modern. Many of these beliefs systems \u2013 from the Druids to Native Americans to the ancient Egyptians \u2013 do not consider the serpent to be inherently evil. Instead, the serpent is often worshipped as an aspect of God.<\/p>\n In some traditions, such as in ancient Egypt, it is understood that the serpent can represent both the higher wisdom of God, or man\u2019s lower nature, depending on how the \u201cserpent power\u201d is used. Even Moses used a rod which could magically transform into a serpent, indicating that serpent power could be a force for good. It is vital, therefore, to be able to distinguish good from evil, which (presumably) was the symbolical meaning of the Tree of Knowledge.<\/p>\n As long as we adhere to the principle of \u201cby their fruits you shall know them,\u201d we can rightfully discern between good and evil. In practical terms, any practice that further separates us from God is \u201cevil,\u201d while practices which bring us closer to God are spiritual in nature. And if we agree that God is actually our own Divine Nature (from which we have been temporarily disconnected at the conscious level), we can truly understand the ancient maxim: \u201cKnow Thyself.\u201d<\/p>\n Consider once again the phrase \u201cby your fruits<\/em> you shall know<\/em> them.\u201d The words \u201cfruit\u201d and \u201cknow\u201d both relate to the symbol of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. From a spiritual standpoint, the ability to discern is a vital part of the spiritual path and should not be considered to be \u201cforbidden fruit.\u201d\u00a0 This is precisely the idea behind the Gnostic Christian version of the fall of man, which we will investigate next.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd when he saw the innumerable amount of angels that had come from him, he said to them, \u2018I am a jealous God, and there is no other God beside me.\u2019 But by announcing this, the angels knew there was another God. If there were no other god, why would he be jealous?\u201d<\/em> \u2013 The Apocryphon of John<\/em><\/p>\n The Gnostics were a group of people who believed that salvation depended on a direct experience (knowledge) of God, rather than faith in God. As with Greek mythology, the Gnostic mythology was never codified and thus there are multiple accounts of the creation story. The Gnostics movement originated from before the birth of Christ, and many early Christians adopted their beliefs.<\/p>\n Because of their unorthodox beliefs (by contemporary standards), the only Gnostic texts to be included in the Christian Bible were the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation. For the record: significant portions of the Book of Revelation are known to have been copied from the Sibylline Books, which are a collection of prophesies made by the oracle Herophile (who lived around 500 B.C.)<\/p>\n The following narrative of the fall of man is a variation of one of the most popular Christian Gnostic versions, taken from the Apocryphon of John<\/em>. Although this version would now be deemed heretical, the Gnostics were a major faction of Christianity during the early days of this religion.<\/p>\n Once upon a time, the Supreme Being (the Divine Father) created the Divine Mother and granted her the attributes of Forethought, Foreknowledge, Indestructibility, Eternal Life, and Truth. Then the Divine Father and Divine Mother created the Divine Son, the Christ \u201cLight.\u201d This Christ Light ruled over several \u201ckingdoms,\u201d including those named Peace, Love, and Wisdom. At some point, the Christ Light united with Divine Will (the Divine Father) to create a Divine Adam on the spiritual plane. Divine Adam rules over the \u201cFirst Realm.\u201d<\/p>\n Divine Wisdom (AKA Sophia) sees the creation of Divine Adam and attempts to make a similar creation without uniting with a consort. As a result, her creation (who is named Yaldabaoth) is flawed, and her own Light is dimmed in the process.<\/p>\n Yaldabaoth later creates a host of angels \u2013 also without a consort \u2013 so his creations are also flawed. He shares his own light\/fire with these angels and establishes himself as Lord over them. Yaldabaoth then creates an Earth Kingdom and (Earth) Adam, which are based on the likenesses of the Divine Adam and the First Realm of Christ.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, when Sophia realizes that her creation is flawed, she repents and prays to the Supreme Being. The Supreme Being restores the light of Sophia, and implants the light of Sophia within Adam. The presence of Sophia makes Adam shine brightly, and Yaldabaoth realizes that his creation has become more powerful than himself. He tries to pull the light out of Adam, but instead pulls out the form of a woman (Eve).<\/p>\n Yaldabaoth, who is jealous of the light, tries to entrap Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. This paradise is filled with pleasure, and the Tree of Life produces the seeds of desire. But the serpent comes to rescue Adam by persuading him to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil; as a result, Adam gains Divine Thought.<\/p>\n Yaldabaoth, who does not give up easily, casts Adam and Eve out of paradise and clothes them in coats of \u201cforgetfulness\u201d (physical bodies). Yaldabaoth also creates sexual lust so that humans will replicate. As Eve is preparing to consummate her marriage with Adam, Yaldabaoth decides to seduce Eve. This prompts the Supreme Being to pull the Divine Light (Sophia) out of Eve. Yaldabaoth and Eve have sex, which results in the birth of Cain and Abel (who become demi-gods). Later, human children are produced via Adam and Eve, and Yaldabaoth breathes his false light into them.<\/p>\n Yaldabaoth and his demons then collectively rape Sophia. This produces an immense fate of suffering, ignorance, oppression and evil upon humankind. When Yaldabaoth sees the wickedness that this has produced in humanity, he finally realizes he has gone too far. As repentance, he sends a flood to wipe out the wicked human race.<\/p>\n Divine Forethought (an aspect of the Divine Mother) warns the righteous Noah, and he \u201chides in a cloud\u201d to escape the flood. After the flood, Noah\u2019s offspring propagate the human race once more.<\/p>\n Yaldabaoth, as always, wants to make humans forget the Supreme Being and only worship him. Therefore, Yaldabaoth sends his demons to Earth, who turn themselves into humans to marry the descendants of Noah. (These are the Sons of God who marry the daughters of men.) This causes humanity to remain enslaved to the false God. Finally, the \u201conly begotten son of God\u201d (the Christ Light) is born on Earth. The mission of the Christ is to spread the Word of the true God in order to free humanity from their spiritual enslavement.<\/p>\n In Gnosticism, the fall of man is the result of a power struggle between giving and taking light\/knowledge from humans. This idea may have come from Greek mythology, which we will explore next. Note that the Gnostics believed the serpent represented Christ, who came to save humanity from their entrapment to the false God.<\/p>\n From a logical standpoint, some of the loose ends from the conventional version have been tied up. For example, we learn why God was jealous, and why eating from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge was forbidden.<\/p>\n However, we still don\u2019t know why the Tree of Knowledge was in the garden, and the addition of a second light (the light of Christ in addition to the light of Sophia) creates a confusing storyline. Additionally, the Apocryphon of John<\/em> makes no mention as to when Adam and Eve become mortal or why. In contrast, the Gnostic Gospel of Phillip<\/em> claims that Adam and Eve became mortal when the two were physically split apart, and will become immortal when the two once again become “one.”<\/p>\n \u201cBut the woman took off the great lid of the jar with her hands and\u2026caused sorrow and mischief to men.\u201d<\/em> \u2013 from Works and Days<\/em> by Hesod<\/p>\n The stories of Greek mythology predate the creation of the Bible and appear to have influenced both Jewish and Christian mythology. If we were to look at the individual stories separately, Greek mythology would appear to be a random set of adventures (and misadventures) of heroes and pagan gods. But when these narratives are combined, we find an extremely intricate story of the beginnings of the universe. Greek mythology also includes the fall of man, which we will examine via the tales of Pandora, Persephone, and Prometheus.<\/p>\n In Greek mythology, Prometheus stole fire from the Gods and gave it to humans. This angered Zeus, so he orders the creation of the first human woman, named Pandora. Pandora is gifted to the human Epimetheus, who was previously warned by Prometheus not to accept any gifts from the gods. For Pandora\u2019s wedding, the gods cunningly give her a clay jar containing all the evils which currently plague humanity. Out of curiosity, Pandora opens the jar, which releases all evil into the world. Thus ends the golden age of humanity, and the beginning of all of humanity\u2019s troubles.<\/p>\n In this version of the story, a certain god gives humans fire (which symbolizes knowledge), for which another god punishes humanity by plaguing them with evil. Note that this is similar to the Biblical account in which humans are punished after acquiring some sort of knowledge. I.e., just as eating the fruit caused exile from paradise, opening the jar led to the end of the golden age for humanity.<\/p>\n One intriguing detail of the story is that a woman opens the jar instead of the gods simply plaguing humanity directly. This suggests that the Greeks also believed that a woman (or whatever the woman symbolized) was directly responsible for the fall of man.<\/p>\n Persephone was the only daughter of the goddess Demeter. When Persephone was abducted into the underworld by Hades to be his wife, Demeter became distraught and subsequently abandoned her duties as the goddess of fertility. As a result, all plants, trees, and crops on Earth stopped growing.<\/p>\n To resolve this situation, Zeus ordered his messenger-god Hermes to rescue Persephone. Hermes is successful, but he is too late to prevent Persephone from eating a pomegranate seed (which obliged her to remain in the underworld forever). Zeus arranges a compromise that allows Persephone to spend half the year in the human realm and the remainder of her time in the underworld. During the time that Persephone is in the human realm, Demeter is happy and thus the flowers bloom and the crops grow (springtime and summer). When Persephone is in the underworld, Demeter grieves and the Earth enters the fall and winter seasons.<\/p>\n On a superficial level, this story is a folk-tale explanation for the seasons of the year. And like most Greek mythology, the source of drama is likely derived from astronomical events. In this particular case, Persephone appears to represent the constellation Virgo, which disappears in the winter. Yet it is hard to overlook the detail of the pomegranate and how it is related to \u201cforbidden fruit\u201d in the Garden of Eden. The consequence for eating the pomegranate could symbolize the action that initiated humanity\u2019s cycle of death and reincarnation, with the underworld representing a soul\u2019s time of incarnation in the physical world.<\/p>\n Prometheus was a Titan who argued with Zeus over the unfair treatment of humans. In particular, Prometheus was against Zeus taking “fire” away from the humans. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Prometheus returns fire to humans behind Zeus\u2019 back (as was discussed in the earlier story concerning Pandora). This angers Zeus, who punishes Prometheus by chaining him to a rock. As part of the punishment, an eagle comes every day to tear out Prometheus\u2019 liver, and every night his liver grows back. Finally, Prometheus is rescued by the hero Hercules, whom Prometheus had previously helped when Hercules was completing one of his seemingly impossible tasks.<\/p>\n The name Prometheus translates into English as \u201cforethought,\u201d which is one of the attributes of the Divine Mother of the Gnostic creation story. In contrast, the name of Pandora\u2019s husband Epimetheus translates to \u201cafterthought\u201d (i.e., somebody who doesn\u2019t think ahead).<\/p>\n The word liver literally means \u201cone who lives\u201d in several languages (not just in English). The life and death of the liver symbolizes the cycle of reincarnation, which is escaped with the help of the savior figure Hercules. From a spiritual perspective, Hercules represents the part of self that passes through the various stages of spiritual initiations in order to ultimately free oneself from the cycle of reincarnation.<\/p>\n Overall, the stories of Greek mythology reveal a pattern that is very similar to those of Judaism and Christianity (which were created later). The shared concepts include:<\/p>\n \u201c[Marduk] made the stations for the great gods; The stars, their images, as the stars of the Zodiac, he fixed.\u201d <\/em>\u2013\u00a0 from Enuma Elish, The Epic of Creation<\/em><\/p>\n The Sumerian civilization produced the oldest known (recorded) creation story. In general, Sumerian mythology was chiseled into clay tablets, and multiple fragments of their stories are missing. The first part of their creation story describes the birth of various Gods, which likely influenced Greek mythology. The next part of the story describes the gods\u2019 victory over a dragon (serpent). We then find a description of the creation of the universe, which is similar to the Biblical account, and likely influenced the creation story found in Genesis.<\/p>\n Marduk creates the heavens and forms the Earth. Then Marduk creates the stars in the skies for the great gods to inhabit. He then creates Jupiter, and after creating the moon, Marduk instructs the moon to shine according to a monthly schedule. (The rest of this tablet is missing.)<\/p>\n After hearing the words of the gods, Marduk develops a cunning plan to create humans. He takes his bones and his blood to create humans. The humans are created to \u201cbe of service to the gods\u201d and worship the gods.<\/p>\n To date, no equivalent to the fall of man has been found in the Sumerian texts. However, certain references to the Biblical account have possibly been discovered. For example, the Sumerian tablets appear to include references to Eve, Lilith, the Tree of Knowledge, and the Tree of Life.<\/p>\n \u201c’There, woman,’ the trapper [said], \u2018This is he. Let him possess your body. For as he loves you, then the wild beasts, his companions, they will reject him.’\u201d<\/em> \u2013 The Epic of Gilgamesh<\/p>\n One of the oldest stories of all time is the Epic of Gilgamesh (dated to around 2100 B.C), which predates the Bible by hundreds of years. Included in the Epic of Gilgamesh is the story of the great flood. This story is so similar to the Biblical story of Noah that there is little doubt that the Biblical account derives from the Sumerian legend. Additionally, there is an account of a man named Enkidu that warrants examination. In this story, a man goes through a significant transformation as a result of his relationship with a priestess.<\/p>\n The wild man known as Enkidu was molded from the earth by the God of Creation, who desired to create a man who would be as strong as the main character Gilgamesh. Initially, Enkidu was more animal than man, and incurred the wrath of trappers because he was letting wild animals out of their snares. To solve this problem, a priestess is sent to Enkidu for the purpose of \u201cseducing\u201d him.<\/p>\n The priestess was not afraid of the wild man, but instead removed all of her clothes in front of Enkidu without fear. Enkidu comes to the priestess, and they have sex for a period of seven. As a result of this affair, Enkidu gains wisdom although he loses strength. The priestess then gives Enkidu clothes and teaches him how to be civilized.<\/p>\n In the meantime, Gilgamesh \u2013 who is the King of the city of Uruk \u2013 is infuriating the residents by sleeping with newly married brides on their wedding night. When Enkidu hears about this behavior, he confronts Gilgamesh by blocking the entrance to the bridal chamber of a newlywed. A fight ensues, and Enkidu \u2013 who is defeated \u2013 acknowledges that Gilgamesh is the stronger of the two men. Despite this initial conflict, the two quickly become good friends.<\/p>\n Gilgamesh and Enkidu then set off on adventures and kill two monsters. Afterwards, the gods declare that Enkidu must die. Initially, Enkidu curses the priestess, whom he considers is (indirectly) to blame for his death. (The logic is that if Enkidu hadn\u2019t transformed into a human, he would not have later been sentenced to death by the gods). But once he is reminded of what he gained via his transformation, his changes his attitude and praises the priestess.<\/p>\n Considering that the seductress in the story is a priestess, it is likely that the love affair symbolizes a transfer of something spiritual in nature. The priestess herself, as a representation of spiritual knowledge, presents herself naked in front of Enkidu, suggesting that what she offers him is pure.<\/p>\n The common element in this story (when compared with Greek mythology and Gnosticism) is that humans are given some sort of spiritual light, which results in some sort of transformation. However, there is also a significant detail not found in later mythology: the idea that man was previously of a more animal-like nature before the transformation.<\/p>\n After Enkidu\u2019s death, Gilgamesh goes in search for immortality. The gods refuse Gilgamesh\u2019 request for eternal life, so he goes to see his grandfather (who survived the great flood). His grandfather tells Gilgamesh of a magical plant that will restore youth. Gilgamesh finds this plant, but it is later stolen by a serpent before Gilgamesh can use it.<\/p>\n The magical plant in this story is very similar to the concept of the mythical \u201cfountain of youth,\u201d which makes a person young again. And once again, it is the serpent that prevents eternal life (in a story that predates the creation of the Bible by many centuries).<\/p>\n The Hopi is a nation of indigenous people who live in the Southeastern United States. They claim that the land they live on is sacred, and was given to the by the Great Spirit. The name \u201cHopi\u201d translates as the \u201crighteous (or peaceful) ones.\u201d Although the Hopi are located a \u201cworld apart\u201d from Asia, their creation story and mythology (which was passed down orally) has some surprising similarities.<\/p>\n In the beginning, the Universe was an infinite blackness existing in the mind of Taiwa, the Creator. Taiwa created a very beautiful world for humans, but the snake seduced man from the Creator. Taiwa then decided to destroy this world via fire from volcanoes. A few people \u2013 who were pure of heart \u2013 were spared by hiding underground.<\/p>\n The second world that Taiwa created was not as beautiful. In this world, humans invented commerce and became greedy. Taiwa thus destroyed this world with ice. Once again, the few people who were pure of heart were spared by hiding underground with the \u201cant people.\u201d<\/p>\n The third world created by Taiwa was again less beautiful than the previous. In this world, the people built tall buildings, which made them lose their connection with nature and the Creator. Taiwa sent a flood to destroy this world, which the righteous hiding underground. The fourth world is the one which we are all currently living in, and is the least beautiful of the four worlds.<\/p>\n Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the story is the mention of a snake and its role in causing humans to lose their paradise. It\u2019s also interesting that while the exact reason for losing the second world is clear, the description of \u201cseduction by the snake\u201d is less clear. As in previous mythology, this idea seems symbolic (and of great importance).<\/p>\n Unlike previous mythology, this version makes an apparent reference to the Ice Age, which happens between the loss of paradise and the flood. Additionally, the tall buildings are a possible reference to the \u201cTower of Babel.\u201d This indicates that the Tower of Babel in the Bible and the tall buildings of the Hopi could both be symbolic references.<\/p>\n The mention about the ant people is curious. This could possibly be a reference to the people who built the mounds in North and Central America (although the mounds called also refer to the tall buildings).<\/p>\n Note: the term \u201cstarseed\u201d has more than one definition. It can be used to describe a benevolent alien soul who has volunteered to incarnate in a human body (to assist the spiritual development of humanity). Another definition is related to the idea that aliens are the ancestors of the human race. By this definition, all humans are starseeds because we have all descended from aliens. It is this idea that we will be exploring next.<\/p>\n When Charles Darwin came out with his theory of evolution, it appeared to clash with the creation theory presented in the Bible. However, further advances of science would show that while Darwin\u2019s theory can explain the evolution of species, it cannot explain the creation of our planet (or life). For example, with the current knowledge of physics, chemistry and biology, we can accurately calculate the likelihood of our universe being created via the big bang and evolution. That probability is exactly 0%. Without some sort of \u201cdivine assistance,\u201d the universe as we know it could never have existed.<\/p>\n Additionally, human DNA has a different number of chromosomes compared with all other living creatures. This means that human beings could not have evolved from anything on this planet. Additionally, research suggests that humans quite suddenly appeared on planet Earth at a specific point in history.<\/p>\n Since evolution cannot explain the creation of the universe, God may once again seem like an acceptable explanation. And yet, all our mythology and sacred texts indicate that whoever put us on this planet was not a single entity. Additionally, none of the descriptions of the God or gods that are described in our creation mythology behave in a manner that is consistent with a Divine Intelligence that is unconditionally loving and all-knowing.<\/p>\n Instead, we have either a jealous God or a bunch of infighting gods who all behave like typical human beings. The God of the Old Testament, with his extreme punishments and favoritism, acts much more like a fallible parent figure than a perfect, Divine Being.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, many of the gods of mythology are known to be personifications of the planets and stars. The stories about these personalities relate to corresponding astrological events. Another subset of gods were \u2013 according to various accounts – actual physical beings that interacted with humans. They were called gods because they were believed to have originated \u201cfrom the heavens.\u201d Taking all of this into account, there is little evidence to prove that this Supreme Being was directly involved in the creation of our planet or species.<\/p>\n In many indigenous cultures around the world, there is an oral tradition that their ancestors came from the \u201cstars.\u201d There are also rumors that the Vatican has evidence of humanity\u2019s alien heritage locked away in its secret vaults. In the next section, we will examine creation myths that provide evidence of the involvement of alien races.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile the Birth Goddess is present, let her create a Primitive Worker. Let him bear the yoke….Let him carry the toil of the gods!\u201d<\/em> \u2013 from an ancient Sumerian Tablet<\/p>\n Over time, we continue to gather more information from the writings of ancient civilizations. This occurs not only by finding new texts, but also by learning how to more accurately translate what is also available. One contemporary expert, Zecharia Sitchin, has spent decades researching and translating ancient tablets from Sumerian. Sitchin believes that they provide evidence of alien involvement in the creation of the human race. The following is a short summary of his theories.<\/p>\n Many thousands of years ago, a race called the Anunnaki came to Earth looking for precious metals. During their time here, they established seven cities, and their workers mined the Earth for what is described as \u201c40 periods.\u201d Finally, the alien laborers revolted and refused to continue working.<\/p>\n To solve the situation, the Anunnaki decided to use genetic manipulation on certain indigenous species to produce a race of slaves. After two rounds of genetic engineering of a more primitive species, homo sapiens were created. Thus humans became the Annunki\u2019s slaves.<\/p>\n The homo sapiens were not only able to reproduce from each other, but were also able to successfully mate with the Anunnaki. This is the supposed meaning behind the account of \u201cthe Sons of God marrying the daughters of men\u201d in the Bible. During the time of Atlantis, the Anunnaki continued to experiment with genetic manipulation, which produced a variety of half-man and half-beast creatures. In the meantime, the slave race was continuing to advance and evolve.<\/p>\n Finally, the (human) slave race started to disobey the Anunnaki, at which point the masters decided their slaves had outlasted their usefulness. The flood which buried Atlantis was a result of the Anunnaki\u2019s decision to wipe out their disobedient slaves. However, some humans learned of these plans in advance, which prompted them to leave Atlantis before the flood.<\/p>\n From a logical perspective, this story works quite well. Additionally, this version repeats many of the common themes from other creation mythology. This includes (1) God\u2019s desire for human obedience, and (2) the conflict of interest between \u201cGod\u201d versus man regarding man\u2019s eventual evolution.<\/p>\n There is a theory gaining recognition in popular culture that suggests that the Anunnaki never fully left planet Earth. Instead, the Anunnaki blood line supposedly continues to propagate through the human species, due to the idea that some of the mixed species (half genetically modified human, half alien) survived the flood. This mixed species is informally known as the reptilians, and they are allegedly preparing for another enslavement of human beings.<\/p>\n Potentially, this theory causes a conflict in the symbology among our various mythological accounts. For example, if the serpents\/reptiles are the aliens who enslaved humans, then why would the serpent tempt Adam and Eve to gain knowledge?<\/p>\n Earlyne Chaney, born in 1916, was a spiritual teacher who founded the Astara mystery school in California. She was the author of many books on topics related to esoteric teachings. One book, Initiation in the Great Pyramid<\/em>, recounts the experiences of a young woman in ancient Egypt. Included in this account are details about the An-Anaki and the destruction of Atlantis.<\/p>\n The Anaki were a people from outside the solar system; they arrived at Atlantis in spaceships. The Anaki, whose name means \u201cthe mighty ones,\u201d brought a powerful object with them from their home planet called the \u201cArk of the Covenant.\u201d<\/p>\n The ark had a powerful crystal inside which gave it energy on par with that of a nuclear reactor. The ark could be directed to emit rays of light that were more sophisticated than our current laser beams. Using the ark, it was possible to temporarily render objects weightless.<\/p>\n The Ark of the Covenant symbolized the Anaki\u2019s promise to always support humans with their development. As time progressed, the Anaki built additional arks. The original ark was large in size, but some of the additional arks were small and rectangular in size (similar to what is described in the Bible).<\/p>\n The Anaki intermarried with the humans. Their offspring (the An-Anaki or \u201csons of Anaki\u201d) became the rulers and priests of Atlantis. Eventually, the Anaki left planet Earth using their spaceships.<\/p>\n During the time that the An-anaki intermarried among themselves and kept their race pure, humans lived in an era of peace. But eventually a hybrid race appeared that was a mix of An-Anaki and humans. The hybrids were interested in using the power of the ark for selfish purposes, which prompted the An-Anaki to leave Atlantis. After the An-Anaki left, the hybrids invertedly caused the (at least partial) destruction of Atlantis due to their inability to accurately control the Ark technology.<\/p>\n The An-Anaki resettled in various other locations including Egypt, Central America, India, Greece, and China. They had brought some of the arks with them, as used these to build not only the pyramids in various locations of the world, but also \u201cendless tunnels.\u201d At that time (before the shifting of the magnetic grid) the pyramids acted as transmitters and receivers of energy. At one point, an ark hovered above the Great Pyramid as its capstone.<\/p>\n Eventually, the An-Anaki also left the Earth. It appears that for a while, they continued to visit and communicate with humans. One of their \u201cspaceports\u201d was Mt Sanai, which suggests that Moses\u2019 communication with God may have actually been communication with the An-Anaki.<\/p>\n There is no clear mention of the fall of man in this version. However, there were two things that did get humans into trouble. First, there was inbreeding between the An-Anaki and humans. Second, the resulting hybrid class misused the sacred technology of the arks, which led to the eventual collapse of Atlantis.<\/p>\n \u201cThis planet was a garden which had become ready for planting\u2026\u201d<\/em> \u2013 from Keepers of the Garden<\/em> by Delores Cannon<\/p>\n Delores Cannon, born in 1931, was a spiritual author and healer who used hypnotherapy to research various topics, including the prophecies of Nostradamus and alien abductions. In her book, Keepers of the Garden<\/em>, Cannon consolidates a series of hypnotherapy sessions that discuss an advanced alien race who claims to be responsible for the origins of the human species. Cannon\u2019s hypnosis technique allowed her to directly question aliens who had previously come into contact with (and often abducted) the clients under hypnosis.<\/p>\n From the perspective of these aliens, the planet Earth is a garden. It does not appear that the alien gardeners created this planet; rather the planet and plant life evolved naturally. Once the garden\/planet was ready for planting, the animal forms were \u201cplanted.\u201d<\/p>\n Initially, the Gardeners took frequent care of the garden (as a young garden needs a lot of attention). As the human creatures developed, the Gardeners came less often. But from time to time, the gardeners would return to check on how the garden was developing.<\/p>\n During one of these checkups, the Gardeners discovered that their \u201ccrop\u201d had become contaminated. This caused the Gardeners a lot of grief and confusion, because their \u201cprize crop had been spoiled.\u201d It was quite a shock because the Gardeners had not even considered such a possibility in advance.<\/p>\n The aliens refused to give exact details concerning what happened, and many times indicated that humans were not yet permitted to have certain information. However, they stressed the fact that this was not an issue where one race of humans was affected versus any other. Instead, the contamination was some sort of factor that affected all humans.<\/p>\n One analogy offered was that a meteor crashed into the Earth, bringing with it a \u201cdisrupting virus\u201d that spread throughout the garden, and could not be fully eradicated. Eventually, the aliens admitted that it was some sort of genetic material that caused the contamination, and which directly resulted in the creation of disease in humans. They were clear on the fact that although natural death would have occurred in any case, disease was due to the contamination and not meant to have been a part of the human experience.<\/p>\n It appears that the aliens discussed whether to try to salvage the crop, or to throw it out entirely. A choice was made to salvage the crop, given the amount of time and energy that had already been expended on this project.<\/p>\n Potentially, the contamination that occurred in this account could symbolize the Anunnaki\u2019s genetic manipulation of the human species. In any case, this perspective adds the idea that the human race is being watched over by \u201ccosmic parents.\u201d<\/p>\n One concept that seems to contradict earlier mythologies is the idea that physical death was inevitable. But it is worth considering if Adam and Eve (i.e. early humans) were really immortal in the Garden of Eden, and if so, would they have remained so? Or was the Garden of Eden a stage of development that would have eventually ended once humanity\u2019s purpose for being there had reached a natural conclusion?<\/p>\n According to Hopi legend, their ancestors were an alien race known as the Kachinas, and were nicknamed \u201cthe watchers.\u201d The Kachinas, who physically resembled humans, traveled for long distances through space before arriving on Earth. The Kachinas were supposedly sent by the gods to teach and watch over the Hopi. At some point in time, they got into their flying vehicles and left. The Hopi remain convinced that their ancestors will someday return.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd it came to pass when the children of me had multiplied, that in those days were born to them beautiful and fair daughters. And the angels, sons of heaven, saw and lusted after them\u2026and went and took wives for themselves, each choosing for himself, and then began to go in and to defile themselves by having sex with them.\u201d<\/em> -The Book of Enoch<\/p>\n In the Bible, Enoch is a man who is noted to have walked with \u201cGod\u201d (which is a possible reference to a benevolent alien). At one time, the Book of Enoch was considered scripture by Jews and early Christians, and certain passages of the New Testament appear to be influenced by this work. However, this book was not included in the Christian Bible. Unlike the book of Genesis, the Book of Enoch provides significant details about the Sons of God who married the daughters of men.<\/p>\n The Sons of God are identified in the Book of Enoch as angels (AKA the Watchers). They saw the daughters of men and desired to have them. A group of 200 angels led by Azazel made a pact to go down and take one woman each as their wives. By taking the women and having sex with them, they became fallen angels.<\/p>\n The offspring of these unions were giants who consumed all the food that the humans produced. Once the food was all eaten, the giants started to cannibalize the humans themselves. It appears that these giants were also the first meat eaters, as they \u201csinned against\u201d birds, beasts, reptiles, and fish by consuming their flesh and drinking blood.<\/p>\n In the meantime, the Watchers taught humans all types of skills, including science, agriculture, and medicine. However, they also taught humans witchcraft and the art of making weapons. It was this evil knowledge that brought about the death of humans.<\/p>\n To punish humans for abusing their knowledge, God sent a flood. The giants and most of the Watchers and humans perished. However, the Watchers that remained continued to teach humanity secrets of the \u201cdark arts\u201d throughout the ages of humanity.<\/p>\n In this version, it is the knowledge of evil that resulted in death for humans.<\/p>\n In the Book of Enoch, it is clear that the \u201cSons of God\u201d were the same category of beings that Christianity calls angels. Additionally, the name \u201cWatchers\u201d is a title commonly used to refer to the aliens who visited Earth in ancient times. The question then becomes: are angels in fact aliens, or is there a difference? The traditional view of angels is that they do not have free will, and thus cannot perform evil deeds. But if this is true, then we still have no explanation for the “fallen angels” who followed Lucifer. Therefore, the idea that the Watchers are actually aliens with free will is a logical conclusion.<\/p>\n In the last two accounts, we will return to the idea that the fall of man was influenced by “fallen angels” (as opposed to malicious aliens). These accounts more clearly define angels as beings who are from planet Earth but are a separate lifewave from humans. They therefore exist on a less dense plane of reality compared with the physical plane. Although these two accounts vary in details, they both provide more information about the creation of evil and why it exists in our world.<\/p>\n \u201cThe [Lucifer Spirits] brought [humanity] pain and suffering where there was none before; but they also brought him the inestimable blessing of emancipation from outside influence and guidance, thereby starting him on the road to the evolution of his own spiritual powers\u2026\u201d<\/em> \u2013 from The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception<\/em> by Max Heindel<\/p>\n Max Heindel was a mystic and author who was born in the Netherlands in 1865 and moved to the United States around 1896. He studied the theosophical literature of Blavatsky, Beasant, and Steiner, but claimed that the bulk of his spiritual knowledge was given to him by direct revelation. Below is a summary of his teachings regarding the fall of man.<\/p>\n Humanity is one of many lifewaves that are developing concurrently with other lifewaves. Each lifewave is progressing through a series of seven \u201cworlds.\u201d There are lifewaves that are ahead of humanity in development (such as angels and archangels) and livewaves that are behind us (such as the animal, plant, and mineral kingdoms). These angel lifewave (which currently helps to guide humanity) is also in the 4th<\/sup> world, but on a plane that is exists on a world that less dense that ours (in terms of the vibration of matter).<\/p>\n In the first three worlds, humanity slowly developed consciousness over a period of countless years. By the end of the 3rd<\/sup> world, humanity had developed \u201cgroup consciousness,\u201d which is the level at which animals in the 4th<\/sup> world currently operate. In these early worlds, humanity did not have physical bodies and the environment was much less dense compared to the current 4th<\/sup> world.<\/p>\n Each of the seven worlds contain 7 periods (and we are currently in the middle of the 4th<\/sup> period). The environment known as the Garden of Eden occurred in the 2nd<\/sup> period. During this period, each human body was androgynous (in the sense that each person was able to reproduce without the need of a partner). It should be noted that in this era, humans did not have free will, but were instead guided by their angel watchers.<\/p>\n In order to facilitate the development of the physical brain, it was necessary to divide human bodies into opposite sexes. In doing so, half of the sexual energy of a human was used for reproduction, and the other half was used for brain development. Humans still did not have free will at this stage, and thus sexual gratification was not a consideration. Instead, humans were only beginning to develop physical senses, and for the most part still relied on inner senses.<\/p>\n Mating was done according to the seasons and under the guidance of the angels. When it became time to propagate these species, humans were herded into temples to have sex with their partners. But the sexual act was instinctive and done with little (if any) self-awareness or ego consciousness.<\/p>\n Another interesting detail is that human bodies were already susceptible to physical death at this time. However, humans were not conscious of the death process. Instead, their consciousness would release itself from one body and enter another without any awareness of this fact.<\/p>\n In the meantime, a group of \u201cstraggler angels\u201d known as the Lucifer Spirits had found themselves in sort of limbo situation. These angels had not developed sufficiently during the 3rd<\/sup> world in order to continue developing with the main lifewave of angels. So instead, it was necessary for them to wait until they could be \u201crecycled\u201d into another lifewave that matched their current level of development (which was much more advanced than humans at this point).<\/p>\n When the Lucifer Spirits saw the progress of the humans during the fourth world (and specifically their brain development) they saw an opportunity to restart their progress. Somehow, the human brain gave the Lucifer Spirits a way of using humanity for their own development. But for the scheme to work, the Lucifer Spirits needed to persuade humans to exercise free will.<\/p>\n Because human females (at that time) were focused on developing their creative aspect, it was possible for the Lucifer Spirits to send mental images into their minds. These images implanted suggestions about choosing to have sex whenever it was desired. The females, who were unaware of where these ideas were coming from, acted on these suggestions. In this way, the female sex persuaded the male sex to join them in sexual activity for the sake of personal pleasure.<\/p>\n One of the consequences of this event was that childbirth was now out of sync with natural cycles; as a result, childbirth became painful. Additionally, humans fully integrated into their physical bodies at this time, and their physical \u201ceyes were opened.\u201d Thus, humans were now aware of each other and during sex they \u201cknew\u201d each other for the first time.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the free will choice to have sex when desired led to other free will choices that were selfish in nature. This in turn opened the door to emotions such as jealousy, anger, fear, and hatred. And these emotions resulted in more selfish actions, including violence.<\/p>\n In general, humanity would never have made the decision to make selfish choices without the temptation of the Lucifer Spirits. And without making \u201cmistakes,\u201d the development of the individual personality could not have occurred. Instead, humanity would have continued to be unthinking automatons.<\/p>\n Even though the Lucifer Spirits were stragglers, this version doesn\u2019t explain how or when they developed free will. Potentially, they should have been automatons while waiting to be recycled. It\u2019s possible that there is a logical (but unknown) explanation for how the Lucifer Spirits developed free will. In this case, the Lucifer Spirits may have actually interfered with the development of humanity, with the unintended consequence that humanity gained the \u201cwisdom of the gods.\u201d<\/p>\n Another possibility is that the Lucifer Spirits did not have free will and were \u201cused\u201d by God in order to fulfill the plan of \u201chumanity\u2019s destiny.\u201d This would assume that there was always a Divine Plan to tempt humans to choose freewill and emancipate themselves.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was decided that the only way for humanity to arrive at the highest manifestation of Christ love was to drag itself relentlessly through all of Love\u2019s perversions and contortions\u2026\u201d<\/em> \u2013 Maurice B Cooke, Seasons of the Spirit <\/em><\/p>\n Maurice B. Cooke is a Canadian who channeled information from a spiritual being named Hilarion. He published a series of books during the 1980s on a variety of spiritual topics, which includes one of the most fascinating accounts of the fall of man. A summary is below.<\/p>\n God has multiple qualities which include Divine Thought (a mental aspect) and Divine Love (an emotional aspect). Before the Earth was created, all intelligent life in the universe had been focused on developing the mental aspect of God. As such, these species have been choosing their actions based on their understanding of God\u2019s laws, rather than based on love for one another.<\/p>\n In spirituality, water is a symbol for emotions. The fact that the Earth \u2013 unlike other planets \u2013 is covered with so much water signifies the special purpose for which the planet was created. The Earth was designed to be an experiment for developing the Divine Love aspect of God. This would in turn help to create balance in the overall lopsided develop of God\u2019s creations.<\/p>\n Because the Earth is the first attempt at the development of Divine Love, there was not any set strategy for accomplishing this task. Instead, the spiritual beings in charge of the Earth experiment had to come up with their own plan. They hypothesized that to cultivate Love, humans had to first experience all of Love\u2019s perversions. This would eventually result in humanity \u2013 in a state of extreme despair \u2013 praying for the salvation of Divine Love.<\/p>\n The plan to tempt humanity into sinning was put in place before the human race was actually created. However, this assignment was not forced on humanity. Instead, each soul was given the chance to accept this special assignment, and thus help blaze a path that others would eventually follow.<\/p>\n The men that God created on the 6th<\/sup> day (in the Biblical account) referred to the previous life-wave that inhabited the astral plane. Unlike humans, these beings started out as male and female pairs, and already had souls. Humans, in contrast, were created \u201cfrom the dust of the Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n For clarity\u2019s sake, the first group that was created will be called \u201cangels\u201d (and are also known as the \u201cSons of God\u201d and the \u201cWatchers\u201d). In these early days of humanity\u2019s golden age, the angels regularly came to Earth to teach and instruct the human race.<\/p>\n Initially, each human body contained both the male and female sexes and could generate new human beings without the need of a partner. The division of the sexes transpired on the higher etheric plane and occurred over a period of hundreds of thousands of years. Once the human bodies were split, the male\/female pairs had mates that were theirs \u201cforever.\u201d A benefit of this split was the joyful experience of sex between the permanent mates of each pair of humans.<\/p>\n Once humans had sufficiently adjusted to their Earth environment, it was time to put the plan of temptation into action. A leader of the angels, who was called Lucifer, volunteered to help carry out the plan. Lucifer (whose name means \u201cbearer of light\u201d) created what I will describe as a \u201cfalse image\u201d of himself. The False Light then proceeded to persuade as many angels as possible to tempt the humans into choosing sin (i.e. selfish action).<\/p>\n Approximately one third of the angels were persuaded to carry out this plan (not knowing that they were being guided by the False Light). These \u201cfallen angels\u201d advised the humans to try having sex with other people\u2019s partners for variety\u2019s sake. Because of the rapport that had already been established between angels and humans, the humans were easily \u201cled astray.\u201d<\/p>\n The first emotional pain felt by humans was caused by people who abandoned their permanent mates for other partners. This heartbreak, in turn, would lead to other negative emotions such as jealousy, fear, and anger. Meanwhile, the sexual adventures of the humans moved up to a whole new level when the fallen angels started to have sex with humans. These unions of the humans and angels gave birth to a variety of creatures, including \u201cmonsters,\u201d giants, and beings who were half-human and half something else.<\/p>\n At this point in time, the angels had souls and were thus immortal. The humans were not immortal, however. Although humans didn\u2019t age or die, their physical bodies could only stay alive as long as the physical Earth (which is also not immortal) continued to exist. Therefore, there was a question among the spiritual beings conducting the Earth Experiment as to whether the mixed breeds should be granted immortality. It was finally decided to grant immortal status to all mixed breeds and humans.<\/p>\n In acquiring immortal souls, the physical bodies of humans became subject to death. This was beneficial for multiple reasons. For one, physical death would wipe out memories of past shameful behavior and allow a soul to have a fresh start. Secondly, physical death provided opportunities for the experience of pain related to the loss of a loved one. This \u2013 like all pain \u2013 was considered beneficial (if not crucial) for the eventual development of Divine Love.<\/p>\n Eventually, the fallen angels stopped visiting the planet, and most of the mixed breeds died in the Great Flood. But the pain of rejection that was felt when the permanent mates split up is a wound that continues to be carried within the souls of humans. Potentially, it is this type of emotional pain that will inspire humanity to understand the benefit of forgiving and loving others, and thus bring all of humanity in closer alignment with the Supreme Loving Creator.<\/p>\n The mention of one third of the angels who follow the False Lucifer appears to correspond with the Biblical \u201cwar in heaven\u201d in which one third of the angels who followed Lucifer fell from \u201cheaven.\u201d<\/p>\n In this version, the serpent offers a \u201cfalse light\u201d which results in death. And yet physical death is not only an illusion, but a necessary part of the experience of this artificial \u201ctest environment.\u201d By temporarily accepting the false light (of selfishness), the door was opened for the discovery of the true Light of Divine Love.<\/p>\n The mythology concerning the fall of man has been used by various ideologies to suggest that sex itself is a sin that must be abandoned for the sake of salvation or spiritual path. However, such thinking is shortsighted.<\/p>\n First of all, humanity\u2019s development does not occur suddenly, and it is not possible for a selfish person to instantly transform into a highly evolved person. Before being able to unconditionally love everyone, it is necessary to learn how to have meaningful and loving relationships with specific people. Many family relationships are helpful for learning how to love, but the most challenging and rewarding relationships are sexual relationships.<\/p>\n Another consideration is that sexual energy is creative energy, and our ultimate goal is to learn how to become Co-creators. In the physical world, this means we must learn how to master our sexuality. Until we have learned this skill, we cannot break free from the cycle of reincarnation. It is therefore counterproductive for anyone to choose celibacy before sexual mastery has been accomplished. More on the topic of sexual mastery will be discussed in another article.<\/p>\n Published in 1928, The Secret Teachings of all Ages<\/em> is one of Manly P. Hall\u2019s most famous books. Hall, who was born in 1901, was a Canadian mystic who wrote numerous books regarding spiritual topics.<\/p>\n The Secret Teachings of all Ages<\/em> discusses a variety of religions and mystery schools, giving details of their various symbols, ideologies, practices, and famous teachers. One common theme found in these religious and philosophical teachings is the tradition that the \u201csacred mysteries\u201d were only taught to a select few, while the common people were given the \u201clesser mysteries\u201d via mythology and rituals. Even Jesus disclosed the \u201cgreater mysteries\u201d to his disciples only, while teaching the crowds using parables (which must be interpreted to find their hidden meanings).<\/p>\n In Secret Teachings<\/em>, Hall describes a \u201critualistic drama\u201d that involves Adam and a serpent. There is no information regarding the origin of this story other than the remark that it possibly derived from ancient Egypt. And while the exact origin is unknown to us, the meaning of this drama should be quite clear. Below is a summarized version of this drama.<\/p>\n After countless years of banishment, Adam returns to the gates of the Garden of Eden, standing in the outer courtyard. The cherubim draw their swords, signaling that entrance is denied. \u201cYou are from the dust of the Earth,\u201d says one. \u201cAnd to the dust you shall return,\u201d say the other. \u201cYou cannot become more than you are, and thus you cannot enter the sacred temple!\u201d<\/p>\n But Adam is defiant: \u201cFor years, I have come to these gates and begged for entrance into my Father\u2019s house. For years, I have been denied. It is true that I come from the dust. But after my long years of walking in darkness, I have finally discovered that my salvation has been established by God. Divine Light was sent down from the heavens to be sacrificed on the altar of ignorance. The blood spilt by this sacrifice has quickened the journey that led me to the discovery of my Divine Self.<\/p>\n The Creator could not give me everlasting life, yet immortality was inherent in the dust of the Earth since before the time of creation. I now stand here fully self-aware and conscious of who I Am. Do you now deny me entrance?\u201d<\/p>\n A loud voice replies: \u201cYou who are aware, look now!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam finds himself in a shiny room with a tree standing in the middle. Upon the tree are jewels for fruit, and a winged serpent is wrapped around the trunk. \u201cIdentify yourself!\u201d Adam demands of the serpent.<\/p>\n The same loud voice answers, \u201cI am Satan, the one who leads you into temptation and plots your destruction. I was you enemy before you were formed, and I am the guardian of the Tree of Knowledge. None whom I can lead astray shall eat of the fruit.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam replies that he has been led astray many times and committed numerous evil and selfish deeds. Then Adam declares that there is no future, happiness, or salvation in selfishness and desire. Finally, Adam commands, \u201cBegone with you, serpent! I will follow you no more!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, look now at your enemy!\u201d cries the serpent. \u201cKnow your adversary with eyes that have been opened!\u201d The serpent suddenly disappears. In place of the serpent now stands a divine angelic creature, adorned with golden robes, and possessing wings which extend to the far reaches of the heavens. \u201cI Am the one who was against you,\u201d declares the angel. \u201cIt is I who have brought you all the pain and suffering which turned you against the world of illusions and plucked you from the curse of desire. It is I, therefore, who am responsible for your salvation!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe (karmic) consequence of selfishness is a lack of fulfillment.\u201d<\/em> – Alice Bailey<\/p>\n In this article, I have intentionally presented information in a manner that allows readers to form their own conclusions. The purpose of the article is not to define the truth, but to assist in acquiring a deeper understanding of what the truth might be, based on the material presented.<\/p>\n For some people, the question of whether the fall of man was inadvertent or planned may not seem fully answered. However, it\u2019s important not to lose sight of the fact that humanity did fall, whether or not this was a planned event. In either case, we know that selfish action is the cause, and thus selfless love is the cure.<\/p>\n By knowing that the \u201cpains of life\u201d come from our own selfish actions (instead of viewing life as inherently unfair), we can avoid needless suffering while making decisions that both empower ourselves and bring joy to others. In doing so, we set ourselves on a straight path of ascension leading to salvation and eventual Godhood.<\/p>\n Feature Image:<\/strong><\/p>\nIntroduction<\/h3>\n
The Christian Story of Creation and the Fall<\/h3>\n
Comments<\/h3>\n
Jewish Mysticism: The Fall of Man<\/h2>\n
Introduction<\/h3>\n
The Jewish Creation Story and Fall of Man<\/h3>\n
Comments<\/h3>\n
The Wisdom of the Serpent<\/h2>\n
Gnostic Christianity: Salvation Via the Word<\/h2>\n
Introduction<\/h3>\n
Salvation via the Word of God<\/h3>\n
Comments<\/h3>\n
Greek Mythology: The Fall and Salvation of Humanity<\/h2>\n
Introduction<\/h3>\n
Pandora, the First Human Woman<\/h3>\n
Comments<\/h3>\n
The Abduction of Persephone<\/h3>\n
Comments<\/h3>\n
The Salvation of Prometheus<\/h3>\n
Comments<\/h3>\n
\n
Sumerian Mythology<\/h2>\n
Introduction<\/h3>\n
The Oldest Creation Story<\/h3>\n
Comments<\/h3>\n
The Sumerian Transformation Story: Enkidu<\/h3>\n
Introduction to Enkidu<\/h3>\n
The Transformation of Enkidu<\/h3>\n
Comments<\/h3>\n
Gilgamesh: The Search for Immortality<\/h3>\n
Comments<\/h3>\n
Hopi Mythology: The 4 Worlds<\/h2>\n
Introduction<\/h3>\n
The Story of the 4 Worlds<\/h3>\n
Comments<\/h3>\n
Introduction to \u201cStarseed\u201d Mythology<\/h2>\n
Introduction<\/h3>\n
Debunking Evolution<\/h3>\n
The \u201cMultiple Gods\u201d Problem<\/h3>\n
Sumerian Alien Mythology<\/h2>\n
Introduction<\/h3>\n
The Anunnaki and their Human Slaves<\/h3>\n
Comments<\/h3>\n
The Reptilians<\/h3>\n
Earlyne Chaney: The An-Anaki<\/h2>\n
Introduction<\/h3>\n
The An-Anaki and the Arks<\/h3>\n
Comments<\/h3>\n
Delores Cannon: The Gardeners<\/h2>\n
Introduction<\/h3>\n
The Gardeners and the Tainted Crop<\/h3>\n
Comments<\/h3>\n
Hopi Ancestors: The Watchers<\/h2>\n
Book of Enoch: The Fallen Angels<\/h2>\n
Introduction<\/h3>\n
The Fallen Angels<\/h3>\n
Comments<\/h3>\n
The Creation of Evil<\/h2>\n
Max Heindel: The Lucifer Spirits<\/h2>\n
Introduction<\/h3>\n
Lifewaves and Worlds<\/h3>\n
The Lucifer Spirits<\/h3>\n
Comments<\/h3>\n
Maurice B. Cooke: The Quest for Divine Love<\/h2>\n
Introduction<\/h3>\n
The Earth Experiment<\/h3>\n
The Plan of Temptation<\/h3>\n
Heartbreak, Immortality, and Death<\/h3>\n
Comments<\/h3>\n
Sexuality vs. Spirituality<\/h2>\n
Manly P Hall: The Unmasking of the Serpent<\/h2>\n
The Serpent Unveiled<\/h3>\n
Closing Remarks<\/h3>\n
\n