The New View over Atlantis

by John Michell

The View Over Atlantis , John Michell's unrivaled introduction to megalithic science, earth mysteries, and the inner meaning of number and measure, was described by Colin Wilson as "one of the great seminal books of our generationa book which will be argued about for decades to come." Across much of the globe are ancient earthworks and stone monuments built for an unknown purpose. Their shared features suggest that they were originally part of a worldwide system, and John Michell argues that they served the elemental science of the archaic civilization that Plato referred to as Atlantis. In this connection the most significant modern discovery is that of "leys," the mysterious network of straight lines that link the ancient places of Britain and have their counterparts in China, Australia, South America, and elsewhere. John Michell's studies of ancient measures have enabled him to define their exact values. The same units recur in the dimensions of monuments all over the world, from Stonehenge to Teotihuacan, and reveal the builders' knowledge of the size and shape of the spheroidal earth, and with it the outlines of their cosmology. 82 b/w illustrations.

Genres: History, Philosophy, Anthropology, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Mythology, Science

224 pages, Paperback

First published July 18, 1983

About the author

John Frederick Carden Michell was an English writer whose key sources of inspiration were Plato and Charles Fort. His 1969 volume The View Over Atlantis has been described as probably the most influential book in the history of the hippy/underground movement and one that had far-reaching effects on the study of strange phenomena: it "put ley lines on the map, re-enchanted the British landscape and made Glastonbury the capital of the New Age."

In some 40-odd titles over five decades he examined, often in pioneering style, such topics as sacred geometry, earth mysteries, geomancy, gematria, archaeoastronomy, metrology, euphonics, simulacra and sacred sites, as well as Fortean phenomena. An abiding preoccupation was the Shakespeare authorship question. His Who Wrote Shakespeare? (1996) was reckoned by The Washington Post "the best overview yet of the authorship question."

Reviews

[Roger Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met John Michell a few times and liked him. A sort of elfin intellectual with a dash of mad professor. A kind and thoughtful man, very determined in pursuit of the answer to great puzzles. Some say that he was one of the real initiators of the whole Ancient Mysteries/New Age movement, and they must be right, surely, on the basis of View Over Atlantis alone (first published 1969). What strikes me now, reading the updated version of VoA, is how original and authentic a voice he had, how deeply serious and deeply interesting, even in a field now well-trodden. Part of the book gets a bit lost in a series of huge figures of the Great Pyramidical variety. As maybe he did himself, on occasion. But the first three chapters remain superb, and some of the Glastonbury stuff is extraordinary. A few people may have followed his column in Richard Ingram's 'Oldie' which ran for many years. I never read a bad one.

John Michell died a couple of years ago, in his late 70s.

[Chris Marchan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the landmark book on ley lines and their sacred applications. I think that in the very near future this "hidden" technology of earth energy manipulation will once again be known to the Human race. I'm very much into Sacred Geometry right now and this fits right in. The latter chapters are really great. Makes me want to go to Glastonbury and feel the vibe. Also, the very last part of the book sheds a lot of light on the mystery of Coral Castle, a fascinating place on the extreme southern tip of Florida which was built of megaliths by ONE MAN. I get the distinct feeling that this was more the norm than the exception at one time in our faded past.

[Rob Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should be considered a classic of the genre and contains some eye-opening information not found elsewhere about the ability of ancient societies to map and measure the world. But there is some important research done since it came out that has enabled other researchers including Graham Hancock and Robert Schoch to go into more depth with the similarities between cultures in widely scattered parts of the world.

[Scot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not sure what to expect when I finally decided to pick this one up and read it beyond that a series of seemingly inconsequential conversations over the last ten years or so somewhere along the way led to a friend giving this to me and saying I needed to read it. When I sift through those many seemingly inconsequential conversations I realize that maybe, just maybe there was a pattern that was emerging and if I squinted my eyes and looked at it right, I might notice it.

I believe that is what John Michell achieved in "The New View Over Atlantis." Over the years, he sifted through a myriad of seemingly unconnected data points and started to see a pattern. The way in which he saw something more in the data and pulled together his theories and case were quite delightful. Quite frankly it has genius written all over it.

Despite the title, the book is not actually about Atlantis, though it may be Atlantis adjacent. Michell takes a deep dive into ley lines, straight tracks and magnetic energy lines on the Earth and the way they played an important part in ancient architecture. He then takes an even deeper dive into sacred geometry and how it played out in much of our ancient architecture. Finally, he posits some possibilities, though again that is not the focus, it is a much deeper dive into why we might want to be interested in such things in this day and age when we think we are so advanced and probably don't hold a candle to ancient civilizations.

From my own point of view on these patterns, I imagine I finally opened this because I was ready to really take in the possibilities. To try and understand why certain places I have visited or near my house or that I am drawn to feel the way that they do. I have a hope that we can actually remember our connection to the Earth and draw on that for our next evolution, rather than fall deeper into the technology is the answer pit which seems on the precipice of consuming us.

All that aside, if you are interested in ancient sites like Stonehenge, Glastonbury, the Pyramids, sites in Mexico or Peru or China or Aboriginal culture or Native American culture and think somewhere in all of that you might learn something that will flip a switch for you or for society, then by all means find your way to this gem or something like it that will help you rediscover why all of those inconsequential conversations through the years really did mean something.

[Jason Baldauf · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book detailing the hidden power behind stone megaliths. The use of these structures channeling earth energies is supplemented with information regarding ley lines and straight tracks by ancient peoples. The construction measurements are laid out, and the Giza pyramids and Glastonbury are discussed in depth as well. We’ll researched and presented, glad to have picked this one up.

[P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this in hard copy and found it to be simply an inspiring, interesting and thought provoking book. It is one to bear in mind on travels across the country

[Pascal Zielke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein Klassiker über die Grundlagen der Geomantie. John Michell streift dabei eine Bandbreite an Themen, von Orten der Kraft, Alfred Watkins und die Ley-Forschung, sakrale Architektur, Numerologie, das Formen der Landschaften nach harmonikalen Gesetzen von einer weitentwickelten prähistorischen Zivilisation, das Druidentum und die Mysterien von Avalon in Bezug zu Glastonbury. Und das ist nur eine grobe Zusammenfassung, denn Michell begeistert mit einem breiten Wissen über viele Völker der Erde, alte Bräuche und den wissenschaftlichen sowie okkulten Forschungen früherer Zeiten.

In der Regel macht er dies auf eine sehr anregende, inspirierende Weise, jedoch verliert er den Leser, wenn es um sakrale Maße im zweiten Teil des Buches geht. Mir war zwar klar, was seine Kernaussagen waren, aber seitenlange Berechnungen von Maßen, Proportionen und Mustern verursachen dann leider einen Knoten im Kopf des Lesers. Auch bei mir, obwohl ich mit der Thematik eigentlich vertraut bin. So merkte ich wie ich spätestens als es um die heiligen Maße der Pyramiden ging, welche den gesamten Umfang der Welt widerspiegeln sollen (insgesamt ist dies ein Thema welches viele sakrale Gebäude oder megalithische Stätten gemeinsam haben), innerlich abschaltete.

Spannender wurde es dann wieder als es um die Mysterien von Glastonbury und der heiligen Landschaft drumherum ging. Auch die hier angestellten Berechnungen zum Kloster waren verständlich und brachten den einen oder anderen Aha-Effekt.

Insgesamt ein wirklich lohnendes Buch. Man merkt ihm an, dass es ein Werk seiner Zeit war. Dies war aber eine extrem fruchtbare Zeit im Bereich der Geomantie und das Buch kann sich noch immer behaupten im heutigen Angebot zu dem Thema.

[Dan Zarfati · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very interesting book, and it is well worth reading, BUT it is not necessarily about ATLANTIS, John Michell analyses the Ley lines, sacred geometry, and numerology and proclaims that there was a planetary culture out there in our past. And that is a pretty obvious thing for researchers, it is not necessarily Atlantis. The book is very well written, with very good points, The author does write with clarity and develops his points well enough as in all of his books, it does have a mystical feeling to it.

[eLwYcKe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to discover the principles of sacred geometry, so I found it very useful in that respect.
On the whole I would sum it up as being romantic speculation. Nothing wrong with that of course. My favourite possibility being that our prehistoric ancestors had stone chariots that could float on a bed of sound. Now that I like!

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of this is from Thom's book: Megalithic sites, and "The Old Straight Tracks" by Alfred Watkins. An enjoyable read nevertheless, by an author who takes the data to a higher plane: "what does it all mean?"
Wish I knew!

[Donna Barney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating! I've been fascinated with megalithic structures and the reasons for them - as well as ancient history in general - since I was an archaeology student in the 2970's. Somehow I missed the original View Over Atlantis by John Michell that was published in 1969 so I'm extremely glad that I found the new, extensively revised version that was released in 2013. Even though I've run across much of the information in this book before, it was wonderful and very helpful to have so many sources brought together into one volume. Mr. Michell has done a superb job of bringing together threads from many parts of the world, showing how the theories of ley lines and sacred geometry that may explain British megalithic building can also be applied in other parts of the world including China and the Americas. He has used in depth descriptions of mathematical formulas and religious symbolism to back up his arguments. Overall, well-written and intriguing, a book that invites the reader to question and wonder and think. Highly recommended.

[Charles Shahar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an exceptionally well-written book, in a vivid, friendly and sincere style. I would have actually given it 4.5 stars overall. The only reason I would not give it a 5/5 is because a few of the claims went beyond my comfort zone and went into the realm of fantastic speculations in my opinion. I am also not that interested in sacred geometry. Otherwise the great majority of the chapters weaved a fantastic tapestry of historical and contemporary sources and materials related to earth mysteries. I felt like I had really read something special at the end of it all.

[Ben Olsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful, magical tour of earth mysteries with some great, scientific explanation as to the existence and reasons for ley lines. I didn't like the chapter on units of measure but there was some great stuff on astronomy, the Pyramids, Druids, international folklore and many, many other topics. Sometimes scientific, other times quite fantastical, I want to believe everything it says.

[Ellen Martens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got a lot out of reading this book. It deals with the subject of the ancient straight lines between sacred sites all over the planet, and connects them to a prehistoric universal culture that attracted and used the magnetic currents of the earth.

[Nishi Serrano · Rating 5 out of 5]

NVOA may not be what some hold as truth, but much of it struck a primal cord in me. I often pick up NVOA to remember there are many mysteries in this universe that we just can't explain.

[Regina Hunter · Rating 1 out of 5]

While waiting for Kasia....