Have you heard of Mount Shasta, the breathtakingly beautiful mountain in Northern California? If not, we’re willing to bet you’ve heard of at least one of the many oddities associated with it. For anyone with a fascination for the weird, wonderful, and barely rational, this site is a cornucopia of fantasies. It has , cults, long-lost civilizations, strange otherworldly beings, and disappearances.
So what on Earth is going on at Mount Shasta? Well, aside from some amazing geology and outlandish imaginings, not a lot.
Why is Mount Shasta so special?
Mount Shasta is a , or composite volcano, that reaches the soaring height of 4,322 meters (14,179 feet). Like other volcanos of this type, it has a more classic (almost caricaturized) conical shape, which is formed by overlapping volcanic cones. This makes it a striking and easily visible landmark which, complete with its snow-capped faces, is the ideal site for mountaineers, hikers, campers, and skiers alike.
But it has also long been the travel destination for more spiritually minded visitors who seek a less than conventional holiday. Every year, thousands of people descend on the mountain with the hope of communing with something beyond the terrestrial and geological.
There are tourist guides and attractions dedicated to meditation, vision quests, and other activities that try to tap into the mountain’s various alleged spiritual hotspots. There are numerous bookshops offering the full range of metaphysical texts on healing, vibrations, , angels, and so on, many of which claim to have connections to the mountain itself.
So where does this idea come from?
First Nations legends
Although there are various modern conspiracies associated with Mount Shasta, it has long been a sacred site to various Indigenous tribes. As is often the case with other historically significant spiritual locations, these local traditional stories are often eclipsed or even by modern fantasies, as New Age believers race to become gurus of higher consciousness.
But the fact remains that these Indigenous people have a long-established claim on the mountain and its history. Artifacts found in the area suggest that humans have been living in the area for at least , which makes it one of the longest-occupied areas in the country.
The who live around the mountain today include the Shasta, Wintu, Achomawi, Atsugewi, Moduc, and Klamath people. According to their traditional stories, the mountain is inhabited by various spirits and guardians. One of these is the spirit of Chief Skell, who is said to have descended onto the mountaintop from heaven. During his conflicts with other primordial spirits from the Underworld, Chief Skell caused various eruptions on the mountainside and its neighbours.
Other prominent indigenous figures, such as G’mokumk (the Creator), are said to live on the mountain. According to the Moduc people, the bones of their long-dead ancestors were buried on the mountain. They also that a creature known as matah kagmi (big foot) inhabits and protects the surrounding woodlands.
It is possible these ancient legends and their associated sacred spots inspired some contemporary beliefs about the mountain. However, it is likely that they merely highlighted a site where others could base their own homegrown fantasies. It is difficult to say, as some of the ideas circulating today exist in a world of their own.
The lost world of the Lemurians
Okay, here we go. One of the current stories about the Mount Shasta is that it is home to the underground and highly advanced city of “Telos”, the “City of Light” which is inhabited by the Lemurians. These people are the descendants of human or humanoid beings who once lived on the lost continent of .
If you think the name Lemuria sounds like the word “lemur”, then you would be correct. According to an idea proposed in the 19th century, there was once been a large landmass that disappeared into water of the Indian Ocean. If it existed, this landmass – Lemuria – would help explain why lemur fossils have been found in Madagascar and India, but no where else in Africa or the Middle East.
For those who believe the Lemurians are now snuggled up under Mount Shasta, the sunken continent did not disappear below the Indian Ocean but was instead lost in the Pacific thousands of years ago. Those who survived the catastrophe took up residence under the mountain where they built their crystalline city. Ever since then, people have claimed to see Lemurians wandering around the area. They are apparently 2.1 meters (7 feet) tall, have long hair, and wear and sandals. Of course, they are also said to be psychic and have other superpowers that let them move through space and time.
You may chuckle as you read this, but according to a government-funded study, of visitors to the mountain on a self-identified pilgrimage came to worship or commune with the beings that lived under the mountain.
Roswell on the mountainside
Aside from being the home of long-lost civilizations, the mountain is also a hotspot for alien encounters. For instance, on , Mount Shasta became the focus of international attention when people photographed an enormous “UFO” looming above its peak.
On closer inspection, or just a passing glance really, the UFO turned out to be a . These clouds often form on and can have particularly , depending on where you’re standing. However, they remain a very Earthly phenomenon and not a visitation from another planet.
But this is only a recent example. For decades, visitors to the mountain have reported various extraterrestrial experiences, sightings, and encounters. It is also likely that the mountain was the birthplace of the first UFO religion, the “” cult that appeared in the 1930s.
This theosophical – which combines mysticism and spiritualism with metaphysics – movement was founded by Guy W Ballard and his wife, Edna Anne Wheeler Ballard, and formed the foundation for many other 20th century New Age religions. At its heart, the cult mixed Christianity and mysticism with fierce nationalism (because Ballard was himself , of course). Although it eventually fell into obscurity, the movement still exists today.
To be sure, there are many more oddities and fantasies associated with Mount Shasta, too many to be given worthy time here (including a disappearing that may have been created by people searching for Telos). But the fact that it is a melting pot for so many different spiritual claims and conspiracy theories is not just a testament to the stunning spectacle of the mountain itself. It is also a demonstration of how New Ageism has for its beliefs and will bundle everything together with little concern for authenticity, fact, or legitimacy.