Philosophies
Influencing the Third Reich

Spiritual Aryanism is a spin on general 'Aryanism' philosophy in which not only the physical aspect of Aryanism is taken into account, but the spirit and religious aspects of human existence are seen to follow the same principles of the genetic 'Master Race' just as Social Darwinism saw society paralleling Biological Darwinism.

A definition by researchers of "theozoology" is: "Practical race-metaphysics are concerned with research into the history of the races before their earthly development cycle (pre-terrestrial) ... into the future of the races following their earthly period (post-terrestrial), and finally with research into the extra-sensory, extra-terrestrial, cosmic forces that influence racial development in the present" "3 The attempt in theozoology and similar pseudo-sciences is to mix science and pseudo-theology, with preference to the latter, usually in new-age or racial-theory type theologies. Theozoology attempts to investigate racial characteristics and spiritual correlations with via their historical antecedences. Says one source:"Ariosophy, Armanism, Theozoology and Ario-Christianity are all terms used to describe the Aryan-racist-occult theories of Guido von List (1848-1919) and Jörg Lanz von Liebenfels (1874-1954) and their followers in Austria, particularly Vienna, and Germany. · Helena Petrovna Blavatsky was a main source of their occult ideas." The founder, Adolf Joseph Lanz, was also known as: "Jörg Lanz von Liebenfels," & "Dr. Jörg Lanz." Much of Lanz's terminology was integrated and adopted in Nazi thought. Hitler denied being deeply involved in Lanz's work, but Nagl (see links) cites references to Mein Kampf which are either directly adopted or even plaigerized from Lanz's work. [note: Nagl, ref:#43] Lanz incorporated with "Theozoology" (in which racial characteristics of Aryans increased/improved over time) notions of the 'hollow earth'(see below) and Atlantean mythologies as well. One of Hitler's assimilations of 'theozoology was the belief that world domination must be racially based.

The Elder Futhark is a name given to a system of Runes and their predictive power and interpretations used by occultists in Europe. Still in existence today, these Runes are the systematic symbology adopted by the Nazis to represent various aspects (victory, power, etc) of life in the Third Reich. Many runes such as the swastika [hakenkreuz] and others were incorporated into military symbology as well. The Armanen Society re-introduced many of these concepts and entrenched German youth in them. See, e.g. Elder Futharkor The Swasktika and the Nazis

While the "Hollow Earth Theory" may be often included in the realm of science fiction and ufo's, it was held as a significant possibility by the Third Reich enough to direct funding and research towards the idea. The Hollow Earth Theory states,

The crux of the hollow earth theory is that the earth is a shell with walls about 800 miles thick. In the polar regions there are holes 1400 miles across, with edges that curve smoothly from the outside of the shell around to the inside

There are variations on the Hollow Earth theory: even Halley proposed an 'inner' sun in the late 1600s, although the Hollow Theory of concern to the Nazis was the one proposed at the end of the 1800s by Symmes. Harper's Magazine covered the story and an expedition was proposed. The Symmes theory proposed multiple concentric layers, with a hidden surface entrance at the North Pole. Nazi researchers speculated that inner levels were lush and liveable because of environmental/biochemical factors, and that if the theory proved to be true, it could provide a means of escape and refuge for Germans should the war effort go awry. Research into this theory and 'root' languages of primitive peoples such as Manz were funded by the Nazi regime, but by the end of the war, such research was deemed peripheral to the war effort. Today, proponents of the theory range more to the realm of science-fiction. The theory was partially portrayed in the film "Journey to the Center of the World" and the Time Machine.

Theosophy is a branch of the occult which sought to integrate theology, philosophy and occultic beliefs. While many names are associated with it, the most notable is MMe Blavatsky, who while not the first founder was principle in creating a circle of people who met for study, seances, and practice of this new "religion-practice". The gnostic gospels figured prominently in this belief system: Blavatsky sought her own translations of "The Shepherd of Hermes" and other "Alexandrian" interpretations of early writings which were rejected from scripture.

That the Nazis were fascinated and involved in the "Black Arts" and Occultism is well documented, although scholars disagree regarding the extent, influence and which personalities and events were most involved. Astrological Charts were consulted late in the war by members of Hitler's High Command⁵. Commandant Hoess, at one time Hitler's most avid supporter, defected and parachuted into Great Britain near the end of the war based on 'readings' and time charts. Hitler decried his former supporter as insane. Hitler was known to have had interests and influence by such as Lanz and Krafft as early as the twenties.(see 'theozoology'). Himmler was fascinated by ideas of re-incarnation (he thought he was a return of Heinrich I) and encouraged members of the Gestapo in spiritual exercises such as those of Ignatius of Loyola which involved even levitation.⁶ While most had either a Catholic or Lutheran background, by the 30s, Volkische mysticism and occultic ideals and practices had taken forefront: Eichmann at one point explains the pressures and 'reasonableness' not to attend Church services as a Nazi official. The newly resurrected ideas of a root-race and superior race permeated most Nazi thinking. Scholars disagree on the extent, but at least some influence was yielded by the 'prophecies' of Nostradamus, although some of this was manufactured by the Nazis, to keep the morale of Germans high by leading them to believe that they had a prophetic mandate to rule Europe, and quite conversely by Great Britain who forged prophecies to mislead the German hierarchy. There were many references in speeches and writings to indicate the Nazi preoccupation with 'dark arts' or 'alternative' resources to gain power at all expense. The dismissal of the Old Testament in German Churches and the watering down of theology and belief in Europe greatly contributed to an increased belief and usage of occultic practices. So complete was the emulation of a system of 'new age' and occultic beliefs parallel but divergent from Christianity, that an essentially new 'religion' was formed. The emulation included a fuhrer as messiah, new holidays, and 'practives. (See Emulation of Christ

"The 'Cult' of Atlantis" may be a slight misnomer because there is not one but many myths, ideologies and groups mostly in the occult and New Age movements which have claimed the "Lost City of Atlantis" as a focal point. Renewed interest occurred recently when ruins of an underwater roadway and column fragments were found and photographed, and many immediately deemed it 'Atlantis'. For many New-Agers, it is seen as a source of power and enlightenment, a utopia and a metropolis of 'super-humans' but for the Third Reich it meant more, for they deemed themselves the rightful heirs of a Master Race, descending from the perfect Aryans, the inhabitants of Atlantis.

A recent television Show featured what seems to most an outlandish suggestion: that some throughout history have believed their descent came from a 'super-race' of 'optimally-functioning people' who trace their lineage to Jesus of Nazareth and Mary Magdalen. This section refers to the myth of the Hapsburgs, because some occultists have argued throughout history, that they are still in that lineage. The root of the myth comes from distortions of the Gnostic Gospels. When the Gospel went out through the then known world, portions travelled to Alexandria in Egypt, a hotbed of 'mixed-thought' integrating beliefs from around the world. The Great University and Library there entertained all ideas, seeing the gospel as merely one other. A heretical sect grew up adopting corrupted texts in which Jesus' childhood showed him doing fantastical 'magic' instead of miracles, marrying Mary Magdalen, and expressing ideas more akin to Persian concepts and Eastern thought than Judaeo-Christian thoughts. Gnosticism, which held to a 'secret higher knowledge' prevailed in many forms of occultism throughout history, and one of its tenets, the marriage of Jesus and Mary Magdalen prevailed: while this is all in the realm of legend and not fact, many royal leaders were purported as from this line, as were such notables as Leonardo DaVinci. Gnostic Gospels were utterly condemned by the early Church and later even by Roman Church councils, but legends continued. While never explicit in their beliefs about this matter, Austria and the treasures of the Hapsburgs were at the top of the list of requirements for Nazi Possession: this legend also prevailed in the teachings of Blavatsky and Theosophy, which was a known tenet of many of the early societies, such as the Thule Society, which many later key leaders such as Himmler and Hitler took part in.

That Hitler and the Reich were immersed in Norse Mythology and archetype is no secret: they saw it as an integral part of the "volk", a national identity they sought to prosper. Further, while most think of the Norse gods and goddesses and afterlife dwelling places as mythology, the Nazi hierarchy saw it more on the level of mysticism: it was even more than archetype. Hitler and Himmler in particular saw the archetypes of Wotan, the Warrior God and the warrior's exalted role in life and greater reward in the afterlife as a very real premise. They hoped after the war to integrate Norse or Volkische mysticism into German culture in religion: they found it a far more suitable belief-system than Christianity which they felt led to a weakening of morale and character: Norse archetypes, such as the Valkyries or female spirits of rescue and strength in battle and the headship of a nation by a Magical Warrior-King were incorporated into Nazi thinking: many feel that Hitler saw himself as the personification of a Wotan personality. (See The Gods of the Nazis)

Phrenology, once called craniology, is a pseudo-science, taken very seriously in the 1800s, which purported to make predictions and descriptions by categorizing, mapping and measuring the topography of the skull. While some occultists made much of the ability to read patterns and personalities, phrenology existed as a quasi-science well into the 20th century. In the 1920s and ‘30s, one group went so far as to devise a machine, which made ‘readings’ on skull topography, listing 32 scales with a 1 to 5 rating on each scale. The Nazis did not make explicit reference to the term “Phrenology” but their skull-measurement/topography studies are well documented. Size, terrain and characteristics of the skull were thought to parallel brain characteristics much in the way neuropsychologists speak of brain-specificity today. (e.g. language function in Broca’s area) As Racial Science grew and became paralleled with other ‘mystical’ forms of Aryanism, belief that the formation of the skull was racially related became prevalent also. Josef Mengele, the infamous and sadistic physician of Auschwitz did his dissertation in this area, on “differing Lower Jaw formations and Racial differences”. The skull studies became so pronounced during the time of the Third Reich, that part of the atrocities committed at Auschwitz and Natzweiler were selection and preparation of prototypical skull/skeletal formations for University studies, even at prominent Austrian and German Universities. Aryan-inclusion was determined by a variety of measures, but skeletal and cranial structure figured prominently. Since in the view of the Third Reich, Aryan superiority was physical, psychological/cognitive and spiritual [in their definition] it followed to them that brain structures would correlate with skull mapping, or in other words, bumps and formations. Groups such as Ahnenerbe, the Nazi Ancestral Research Division,¹ secretly carried on studies along this and other less accepted lines in scientific circles. Much of the research is still unavailable to public viewing, but scholars who have been able to examine it determine that almost nothing was found that was not known in other ways.

Even before the war began, Hitler had a fascination with power and the occult. Upon visiting the Hofsburg Hapsburg Treasure Museum in Austria, he noted an ancient spear on display, the Spear of Longinvus, or the Spear of Destiny. The story behind the spear, as with many relics is as old as the spear. It is rumored to have been the Spear which was used at the Crucifixion to pierce Jesus's side after He had died, at which water and blood flowed out. The Legend of the Spear grew into the Spear having a sort of 'black' power and while it is sometimes called the "Sacred" or Holy spear, there have through history been those vying for international power who have believed the legends, most notably that whoever is in possession of the spear, will conquer successfully and stay in power. The first reported owner was Herod, other owners have included Otto, Charlemagne, Napoleon and most recently, Hitler. While the Spear, like the Shroud of Turin is probably only in the realm of legend, the beliefs about it are very real: national leaders throughout centuries have believed that the Spear makes one invincible: while Hitler had the Spear, he was in power, as the Spear and other art treasures were confiscated by Allied troops and it fell out of his possession, he also lost power. Sequences of events such as this lend to the legend.