Apparently the process of fragmentation that threatens the development of all progressive movements is alive and well among today's challengers of orthodoxy. Certainly among those who challenge conventional archeology. In its present incarnation, the schism seems to be between those who believe our lost ancient legacy originated exclusively on Earth (let's call them terrestrialists) and those who believe we owe it all to interlopers from other worlds (let's call them extra-terrestrialists). This issue features interviews with two of the latter, Zecharia Sitchin and Robert Bauval, both of whom postulate a role for ETs in our ancient past, though differing considerably on their identity. Others, like John Anthony West whom we interviewed in our premier issue, see the forgotten past in transcendent but more localized terms. While we doubt that any of these men are interested in spearheading a new factionalism, it is obvious that they have fans who are, and if our mail is any indication, the arguments between the two are becoming more vehement.

Such controversies are, of course, not unique. You will find many within the so-called new-age movement. There are those, for example, who see the movement exclusively as a form of environmentalism and who place our spiritual connection with the earth at the center of life, while others are more oriented toward the celestial and choose to emphasize relationships with angels and spiritual beings instead.

Atlantis Rising, however, does not choose to officially endorse any one of these perspectives. Remembering the seven blind men and the elephant, we suspect there is some truth in all camps. The point has to do with the apparent similarity with other classic splits in newly forming movements, i.e., between the followers of St. Paul and those of St. James among the early Christians, or between the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans in the early days of the United States.

Atlantis Rising chooses to focus its attention on what seems to be the common ground. The hope is that by so doing we can contribute to the expansion of a movement in which we all have much at stake. And, as a tactical matter, it seems wise to refrain from giving our common adversaries, the entrenched orthodox establishment, the means to divide and conquer us.

J. Douglas Kenyon

Publisher