The Architects of Atlantis

[Timothy Boe]

The Architects of Atlantis
Timothy Boe, NCARB, AIA, Hon FIGP
[e-mail]

AOAND struck a vibrant chord with me, as for many years I have felt that the true potential for Arts, Music and Media has remained largely untapped. Moved in 1996 to commit my thoughts to writing in an article titled “The Architects of Atlantis,” it seemed to draw a modest response at the time. As in nature, sometimes we have to be content to just wait for the fruit to ripen before it may be picked. Now – thirteen years later, the emergence of Architects of a New Dawn, aligns remarkably, both in title, as well as in premise with “The Architects of Atlantis.”

Recognizing that there is really no such think as coincidence, I have dusted off the original version of the article I wrote in 1996 and published it in the latest edition of Eco-Times Magazine www.ecotimesmagazine.com – I am also including it here.

Viewed in the context of the past 13 years and the emergence of Quantum Physics, I believe that “The Architects of Atlantis” has more social relevance than ever before. Perhaps the fruit has finally ripened for harvest – I invite the reader to view the article from this perspective.

I would also suggest that the reader visit Eco-Times Magazine www.ecotimesmagazine.com and read the introduction to AOAND that is included there. While at that site click the link to SUBSCRIBE to become a reader of one of the most diverse magazines currently being published on Ecology and its relationship to the Human Potential Movement.

I trust that you will enjoy the following story. If you find yourself feeling moved -- as “Architects” of a New Dawn,” we will all know what we can do.

The Architects of Atlantis
By: Timothy Boe

“There occurred violent earthquakes and floods, and in a single day and night of rain all your warlike men in a body sunk into the earth, and the island of Atlantis in like manner disappeared, and was sunk beneath the sea.”
-- Plato

The legend exists of an ancient civilization so advanced that its people were regarded as being “godlike.” The discovery of fire, metals, and the principles of modern locomotion were just a few of the innovations attributed to these visionary thinkers. Chronicled by Plato and attested to by Edgar Cayce, numerous respected mystics and seers have eluded to the lavish and opulent lifestyles enjoyed by the residents of the fabled continent known as Atlantis.

Its citizenry, described as having been richly endowed with a highly developed appreciation of the arts, architecture, philosophy, and science; Atlantis was originally believed to be a peaceful nation. Living very much in harmony with nature, these people were instinctively eager to abide by her laws.

Over time however, the people of Atlantis began to misuse the Law and thus upset the natural balance. In a quest for more power, the civilization became increasingly more warlike, until the once peaceful atmosphere became highly charged with thought forms of hate, destruction, and disaster. As it must, the law of “cause and effect” mirrored back that which was being poured into the subjective field of human belief. In accordance with the perfect order governing creation, this same subjective field of causation faithfully reproduced the patterns with which it had become impregnated. This out-picturing came in the form of natural calamities that in a single day swallowed the entire continent and plunged it down to the bottom of the sea.

Whatever we think, act, believe in, feel, visualize, image, read and talk about – in fact all processes which affect or impress us at all – are going into our subjective state of thought, which is our individualized use of the Universal Mind. Whatever goes into the subjective state of our thought tends to return again in some condition. So we and we alone, control our destiny.
-- Dr. Ernest Holmes

We live today in a society that has many startling similarities to the fabled civilization of Atlantis. Blessed with a scientific awareness unprecedented in the history of humankind, we have evolved technologies which have penetrated and exposed the innermost secrets of Life itself. Along the way, industries have sprung up to provide the average person with creature comforts well beyond those which were available to even the Kings and Queens of a mere century ago.

We, by the simple push of a button, may instantly monitor, in real time, activities taking place at the far reaches of the globe. Our lives are further enriched through access to a vast array of mental stimulation; coming to us via the printed page, the theater and TV screens – even along pathways in the ethers in which we dwell.


That these once peaceful airwaves are now teeming with electronically generated images conveying exaggerated levels of fear, calamity, and every conceivable kind of human degradation and destructive event seems to be of relatively little concern to the general public. Initially introduced to violent content through programming that relied on the art of suggestion for visceral impact, generations since have been lulled into a sleepy state of acceptance. In the meantime the gratuitous levels of content of fear, hatred, calamity and revenge has been gradually, but increasingly intensified.

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”
William Shakespeare


In 1972 film director Sam Peckenpaw made a western in which the graphic depiction of violence, moderate by today’s standards, but excessive for those times was portrayed. Rated for adults, movie patrons found themselves feeling ill and rushing out of theatres at the sight of such unrestrained carnage. Today, not just adults, but kids as well, are routinely exposed to material far more brutal and graphic. The telling concern however, is that based on viewership survey numbers, the audience has apparently “evolved” to the point of being able to enjoy viewing and fantasizing about pain and suffering as a form of entertainment.

Recent studies have revealed that a child in our society today will have witnessed more than two hundred thousand acts of violence from TV and movies by the time he or she reaches the age of twenty. Anyone with kids today will have no doubt seen them “killing” their friends as part of regular play. Keep in mind that at the subjective levels of our thinking we do not distinguish between what is real and what is fantasy. The highly charged thought forms we invite into our inner sanctum, whether they be crackling with fear, or brimming with optimism, find the same receptive medium in which to embed. That our thoughts are in reality the “Architects” of our experience is a premise so widely recognized by mainstream authorities on human behavior that the argument is now beyond all reasonable debate.

“Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are of good report, and if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, THINK ON THESE THINGS.”
-- Philippians: 4:8

In our society today the reigns of global influence are held firmly in the grip of the Wizards of Madison Avenue. A daily assessment of the numerous intrusions leveled at our psyche by the media would be startling to behold. There are precious few escapes from the daily reminders that we would be a better person if we bought a newer car, switched deodorants, or drank a different cola. Some of the most gifted artists in our civilization today routinely conspire to come up with more effective ways to drive home the single point – we, on our own merit, will never be enough.

It is interesting to note, and comes as no mistake that the majority of college graduates with psychology training go into careers in some form of advertizing. There they do a stellar job of convincing the public that they are not as happy or secure unless they first buy certain products. Relentlessly the message is broadcast and repeated – people in our society are not good enough, smart enough, rich enough, or secure enough. Whatever love and social acceptance we currently enjoy is conditioned by our ability to do better than we are already doing. Of course in this case “good enough” and “doing better” is defined by the products we purchase. The art of convincing people to covet and pursue things that they don’t really need in order to be happy requires a great deal of insight into the workings of the human mind.

Back in the early days of the burgeoning film industry, success/self-help guru Napoleon Hill observed and wrote about the power of the hopeful new medium of movies to touch people’s attitudes through the process of autosuggestion. He described the perfect climate that existed when an audience sat in darkened rooms and absorbed messages powerfully portrayed on the big screen by the world’s great writers, directors and actors. Hill speculated that given its powerful influence, the film industry would no doubt be employed in very constructive ways. He referred to the power to impact so many people simultaneously as a high privilege – one that should be used with thoughtfulness and discretion.

Hill mused that engaging stories, powerful musical scores, and compelling cinematography would combine to create an emotional atmosphere capable of shaping the core beliefs of a receptive audience. The opportunity, as well as the danger, lies in the fact that the deeper, but still receptive recesses of our awareness are like a fertile garden, ripe unto the acceptance of new seeds that are presented in the form of emotionally charged images. This is precisely why the stewardship of media access to the hearts and minds of billions of viewers should be accompanied by a high degree of integrity, and an ethical standard of conduct on the part of the producers of these entertainment products.

“Mind is the master power that moulds and makes, and we are Mind and evermore we take the tool of thought and shaping what we will; bring forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills. We think in secret and it comes to pass – Environment is but our looking glass.”
-- James Allen

Like the alcoholic who has blotted out the sensation of persistent hangovers, our society largely attests to not being “affected” by the images and suggestions that it daily imbibes. Even in this time of advanced mental science, so called authorities still debate as to what degree audiences are actually motivated by what they are exposed to in print, film, music, and on TV. Nonetheless it is worth considering that annually billions of dollars are spent by advertisers with the singular goal of impressing images of their product on the awareness of the general public. Unless these companies were supremely confident that such impressions would influence behavior; would this kind of financial investment be made?

Particularly vulnerable to suggestion, children allow their virgin minds to surrender as their favorite cartoon characters dismember and destroy each other several times in a single episode. Today, thanks to the miracle of modern communications, individuals living in third world countries are being served their first taste of Western civilization in the form of exploding cities, serial killers, sadistic avengers, and a world depicted as teetering on the brink of destruction.

To students of the mind, the process we are dealing with should be abundantly clear. The fertile imaginations of an entire planet are being seduced and recruited into a belief in atrocity and inhumanity. That this brand of pollution is being propagated by an unwitting industry does not provide relief from the inevitable outcomes.

The Industrial Revolution once harvested the resources of this planet at will, with little regard for preserving a natural balance. At first there was no tempering of its activity, before an awareness of environmental issues brought the problem to light.

Once finally identified, the importance of reversing the trend was acknowledged and begun. But as within, so without; this planet stands little chance of being cleaned up while the collective mind of the human race continues to be polluted at such an enormous rate by an industry that has failed to grasp the significance of its social responsibility. A toxic vision can only precipitate a toxic world.

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought.”
-- Buddha

Fortunately the same Law that is being used destructively may also be employed as a powerful tool for affirmative change and growth. The kind and quality of entertainment and informational programming that will inspire and uplift may just as easily be produced. There is no shortage of ideas and material that could be woven into stories that would speak to our highest aspirations.

Knowing the power of thinking -- imagine what could happen if the powers that be elected to accept the challenge of producing the kind of programming that stimulated the audience to imagine their greater human potential. With the quality of writers, directors and actors that currently are affiliated with the entertainment industry the challenge of producing creative, inspiring, and entertaining films, music, TV and news broadcasts could be easily achieved. It all begins with the decision by media executives to walk the high road and stay off the path of pandering to the lowest common denominator in the reality level of the audience.

It’s true that at this point in time the more sensational fear, adrenalin based programming might be what the public is willing to pay for – but how did they cultivate that appetite? In a world where few options are available, people have demonstrated that they will patronize whatever they are served as long as there is a baseline of production value. In other words…chainsaw murders are OK – provided that the special effects remain graphically compelling and realistic.

“Imagination is everything. It is a preview of life’s coming attractions.”
-- Albert Einstein

We are at a historic place in time. The greater dimensions of the human mind are starting to be understood to such a degree that we can no longer pretend that it doesn’t matter what we pour into our collective psyche. In fact the influence of entertainment content and its impact on behavior, attitude, and sense of well being is no longer a secret. If laws didn’t forbid it, you may rest assured that entertainment content would be littered with subliminal messages. Media executives have sufficient levels of understanding of the power that they are using…they just can’t seem to resist the profits that abound in primal instinct oriented programming.

However, as individuals in our society step up and demand more responsible stewardship of the airwaves, the entertainment industry will have no choice but to respond to the demand for quality programming. It all begins with an unwavering resolve on the part of individuals to support and call for affirmative content. It also speaks volumes when people refuse to patronize entertainment that does not align with their vision for this planet, or with our high aspirations for the human race.

At first the effort may seem more like a symbolic gesture than a “real” movement -- but it’s important to remember that all great shifts in consciousness, whether individual, or collective, begin with a simple commitment to change. When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on the bus, it was not because she was unable to stand. All cultural shifts were a series of small victories that were won, usually at a personal level -- all leading up to the monumental breakthroughs that we read about in the history books today.

For those sincere students of the mind, as well as those who appreciate the correlation between thinking and behavior, the stakes are high. Pollution and waste has been identified as a problem that has been silently choking off the life force of the planet which we refer to as our home. Most people today are keenly aware of reducing and controlling man-made pollution and waste. How much more care should we be taking when it comes to monitoring contaminates that we invite into the inner sanctum of our minds?

If our bodies are indeed the temple of the living spirit, then surely our minds are the altar on which all offerings to the higher spectrums of our consciousness are placed. Whether we choose to advance our longings for peace and harmony, or celebrate the specter of death, hatred, and destruction is the freedom with which all people have been divinely endowed. The burning question remains – what images do we choose to commit to the laboratory of our inner sight? Do we envision a world of peace, prosperity and joyful, creative expression – or a scorched planet, seething with hatred, fear, and calamity?

“By releasing ourselves through commitment, the deeper dimension of our being is coming forth, what you ARE is coming forth; which is why it always feels like coming home.”
Dr. Michael Beckwith

In recognition of the wisdom of Life in granting us the freedom to choose the thoughts we wish to entertain – I believe that the same should hold true in our society. Forced thinking in the form of censorship and other such social responses to information issues only underscore how poorly we as a culture grasp the concept that we as people must be left to make our own discoveries. It is a bad idea to surrender that decision making process to another – especially into the meddling hands of a censorship agency, or government bureaucracy.

The combination of freedom and choice make for a sweet or bitter combination depending on how we embrace such liberty in our lives. Yet Life itself is based on freedom…which is why all attempts to control the thinking of others will eventually fail.

With this thought in mind, I would extend the invitation to choose to dwell on the higher attributes of Life. As this resolve finds its way more into the communication and entertainment media, the laws of nature can only respond accordingly. As this higher vision unfolds, many of the answers to questions that have long been plaguing our society will come into focus to be answered for the betterment of all. This will happen gracefully, while fostering the enlightened and inspired evolution of human race.