12.1.4 Research Paper
Introduction
The earth’s mantle, outer & inner core, are basic concepts in regard to the earth’s interior. This interior has been proven true through the discovery of seismic waves & data, although individuals continue to believe that this is not the case. Beginning in the 17th century, the proposition of the earth’s hollow interior became a sought-after belief system. This proposition advocates for ideas of extraterrestrial creatures or a technically advanced race & describes openings to this utopia at the north & south poles, or through caves & caverns. So, what was it that made the Hollow Earth theory so convincing?
Psychological Lens
Because of the overall lack of supporting scientific evidence for the Hollow Earth Theory, one should question the psychological reasoning for somebody to believe in this outlandish theory. According to Kolbert, our brains are wired to believe in what we are told before applying any skepticism. In a Harvard study, students given two different perceptions about the same person, even after being told both sources were false, described the person with the information that was initially given instead of forming their own opinion. Even after evidence that entirely refutes a theory, people refuse to change their opinion. This explains why people believe in the Hollow Earth Theory. When someone hears a figure of authority in their lives tell them the Earth is hollow, the person is very likely to carry that perception throughout the rest of their lives and treat it as fact. This makes it almost impossible to convince someone who believes in Hollow Earth Theory otherwise, without taking a purely psychological approach. No matter how much evidence is provided refuting the theory, people will still believe in their minds that the Earth is indeed hollow.
Belief Perseverance is maintaining a belief after being given evidence that directly contradicts it. This is caused by multiple factors including cultural and social dynamics influencing someone’s personal life. By thinking casually rather than critically, one can easily fall into belief perseverance. Cognitive consistency is also a factor that could lead people to start believing in multiple layers of a pseudoscience such as Hollow Earth Theory. Cognitive consistency is when someone will attempt to dismiss all inconsistencies, by fabricating information that goes along with their theory. We can see a level of cognitive consistency when examining the Hollow Earth Theory. In order to eliminate any perceived inconsistencies about the science regarding the Earth, believers of the theory will fabricate an entirely consistent story regarding what they believe lives under the Earth’s crust. A purely psychological approach to challenging the Hollow Earth Theory shows how complex the issue really is. Because of factors such as belief perseverance and cognitive consistency, simply presenting scientific information proving the Earth to have a solid core is not enough to convince a believer to change their mind. Once someone has fallen into the mental trap of believing in the Hollow Earth Theory, little can be done to convince them otherwise.
By examining documents regarding the roots of the Hollow Earth Theory, one can see that a psychological lens is key to understanding the foundation of the theory. In the early 1940’s, Richard Shaver became an influential figure in the world of science fiction after the “Shaver Mystery” was included in a popular publication. “The paper argues that, for Shaver, the dero provided a psychological framework for processing tragic and traumatic events, externalizing tormenting forces into monsters. His fiction then became a force for combating those torments within a narrative context. Like other conspiracy theories, the Shaver Mystery seeks to impose order on a chaotic world.” (Mckee, p.01) Before Shaver wrote his science fiction material, he had spent several years in mental institutions. Shaver’s descriptions of Teros and Deros could reflect his own psychological projections or personal beliefs about the nature of humanity. They might symbolize his perception of the inherent goodness and darkness within individuals, projected onto external entities.
“Conspiracy ideation promotes a threatening, non-random, and immoral worldview.” (Fasce 2020, p.08) Hollow Earth Theory believers engage in conspiracy ideation and therefore, this theory should be considered a pseudoscience. A psychological lens is crucial to understanding why the Hollow Earth Theory was so convincing.
Geological Lens
When asking yourself if the Hollow Earth Theory has any validity you can easily find your answers through geology. Dating back hundreds of years to 1735, French scientists Pierre Bouguer and Charles Marie de La Condamine traveled to Chimbozaro, a volcano in Ecuador to prove that the Earth was in fact not hollow. The two performed a vertical deflection experiment to test how local mass anomalies affected gravitational pull. Bouguer remarked that their findings were enough to falsify the Hollow Earth Theory. This experiment was repeated by Charles Mason in 1772, and produced far greater evidence to debunk the Hollow Earth Theory. Seismic waves are yet another way to prove the Earth is in fact not hollow. The amount of time it takes for the waves to pass through and around Earth contradicts a fully hollow sphere. Through research, we know that the Earth is made up of four layers: the crust, mantle, inner core, and outer core. With this undeniable evidence we can draw the conclusion that there is no evidence, geologically, that the Earth is hollow.
Centuries ago, many, if not most, people believed that the Earth was Hollow due to religious beliefs, what they were told growing up, or what scientists believed was true. Now that science has evolved, scientists are able to do more elaborate experiments than the ones that Pierre Bouguer, Charles Marie de la Condamine, and Charles Mason conducted in the 1700s. Seismic waves, which are produced through activities such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and magma movement, can be analyzed with modern technology that was not available many centuries ago. A machine such as a seismogram allows geologists to see the waves and how long it takes them to get from point A to B. Since the waves receive resistance as they travel through Earth’s solid and liquid layers, which forces the waves to slow down proves the Earth is not hollow. If it were hollow, the waves would pass from one side to another very quickly. Through modern technology, geologists have been able to disprove the Hollow Earth Theory.
Folklore Lens
Teros, Deros, Titans
The Hollow Earth Theory cannot be thoroughly studied without analyzing what consists inside of it. There are various male-synthesized theories about advanced civilizations within the earth. 19th-century writer Richard S. Shaver developed the most popular myth, who described the inner earth as a vast world of caverns constructed by godlike aliens. Author Raymond A. Palmer further developed and published Shaver’s theory in his story “Shaver Mystery” on Amazing Magazines. Supposedly, 12,000 years ago, these aliens, known as the Nortans, Titans, and Atlans, or the “Elder Race,” built the caverns under the earth’s surface to shield themselves from the emanating poisons of the sun. They soon left after the radiation became too much, leaving behind technologically advanced creatures. Deros (“detrimental robots”) were the sexually perverse, evil beings who tormented inhabitants on earth’s surface. On the other hand, Teros (“integrative robots”) were seen as heroic beings working to destroy the Deros. According to Shaver, these beings could manipulate events on the surface through ray devices. For example, they used “stim rays that [could] cause pleasant sensations; needle rays that cause pain; ben rays that heal and… resurrect the dead, telaugs that transmit voices into other beings’ minds, [and] epilepto rays that cause seizures” (McKee par. 3). Deros used this technology to bring harm and chaos to the world while the Teros actively fought to stop it.
These writings contributed to Shaver’s controversial claims about subterranean civilizations and their influence on human affairs. Shaver’s interpretations of the Hollow Earth’s inhabitants could be seen as an attempt to explain the reasons or attributions for events in the world. To elaborate, the concept of Deros as malevolent beings may be an attempt to rationalize adversity, tragedies, or inexplicable negative events in the world. On the other hand, Teros are the valorous beings in charge of maintaining stability and order in the world. The two creatures coincide as a portrayal of the struggle between good and evil, serving to explain conflicts, moral dilemmas, and the complexities of human existence.
Aryan advanced race (Hitler)
By comparison, Hitler used the ideas of Hollow Earth to defend his racist and antisemitic views. It is commonly known that Hitler significantly manipulated the public eye. Smith mentions in his book, This Hollow Earth, that “Hitler preyed on the fears and frustrations of the people” (Smith 74). He took advantage of society’s weakness and filled it with the Hollow Earth Theory. His radical ideas appealed directly to the public (Hansson 2017). The theory that Hitler composed suggested there was a species of superior beings living inside of the Earth, also known as the Aryan race. These beings were described to be very beautiful and god-like. Their blood was said to be purer than homeo sapiens. A majority of the beings were described as being male, and the female’s only use was to reproduce with homeo sapiens to produce more Aryans or superior beings. Hitler gained political support by believing in the Hollow Earth Theory. Because he was a person with high political power, many citizens also began to believe in Hollow Earth due to his authority (Lavin 2020). Hitler used the Hollow Earth theory for his benefit as a dictatorial leader.
These clashing viewpoints about Hollow Earth inhabitants are considered a fabricated controversy or a pseudoscience. Because of its lack of physical and scientific evidence, this theory falls under the areas of myths and conspiracy theories (Hansson 2017). However, despite the lack of evidence, these theories were presented as reliable theories. At the time, Shaver, Palmer, and Hitler were viewed as credible sources, thus persuading people to believe in their theories. Now, it is clear that these figures lacked the competence and expertise to synthesize reasonable information, allowing society to debunk such theories and claims (Hansson 2017).
Conclusion
The Hollow Earth is imagined in various ways, with an overall consensus that there is a shell on which all humans live. Within this shell, there is space with another earth-like sphere. On this sphere live different beings, based on the hypothesis being considered. Generally, there are theorized superior beings living inside of the Hollow Earth. To visualize this, consider having a plastic Easter egg. Inside this egg, there are magical jelly beans, which represent the magical beings that inhabit the inner earth.
Hollow Earth can also be illustrated as a jawbreaker candy. There are several different layers within a jawbreaker, much like the Hollow Earth. The first several layers are comparable to the outer layers of the earth’s surface- the surface humans currently are living upon. The further you get into the jawbreaker candy, the more layers that are revealed, much like the Hollow Earth, the further into the Earth, whether through caverns or caves, lives an exotic, mysterious, paradise-like center. This illustration of the Hollow Earth theory demonstrates how implausible this concept is. The Hollow Earth theory has a scarce amount of evidence supporting it, if any at all. Although, the theory continued to grow in popularity within the 18th, 19th, & even 20th centuries, with the support of authoritative figures. Due to the altogether lack of credible evidence, the Hollow Earth theory is thereby determined a pseudoscience.
Not only does the idea of a hollow earth lack well-founded evidence, but it also promotes science denialism. The authority figures that promote the theory, such as Hitler, use Hollow Earth and supernatural beings to justify their beliefs in a superior race in order to control those that are inferior. In using his influence as a false expert, Hitler led his followers to believe that he was a superior being gifted with powers to see into the future, which is another unrealistic and unprovable theory. There is no scientific evidence that supports the idea of a Hollow Earth or an advanced race; thus, the believers must defy proven sciences such as geology, biology, and physics to strengthen their claim. Much like other pseudoscientific claims, such as climate change denialism, there is a great presence of science denialism present. Climate change denialists blatantly choose to ignore scientific evidence that the planet is warming due to fossil fuels, comparable to Hollow Earth theorists denying scientific evidence proving the existence of the earth’s inner and outer cores and mantle.
References
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