Sources: The Crystal skull - Richard Garvin

& Cosmos Magazine Article - Jalandris

Ed: This article is reprinted here as published in The Crystal Visionary book and magazine #3... however since the time of writing various investigations have come to light that cast doubt on some aspects of the story.

See update at the end of this article.

In 1927, an adventurer-explorer with a passionate belief in Atlantis, named F.A. Mitchell-Hedges (shown in photo with daughter Anna and friends) was clearing debris from atop a ruined temple at the ancient Mayan city of Lubaantum, located in British Honduras, when his 17 year old daughter saw a shimmering in the dust after lifting a collapsed altar. The daughter, Anna Le Guillon, found an exquisitely carved and polished skull made from Rock Crystal, but with the jaw piece missing: Three months later, she located the jaw in an excavation about 8 metres from the first site.

The skull was made from a single, unusually large block of clear Quartz Crystal, and measures 5 inches high, 7 inches long, 5 inches wide, and weighs 11 pounds, 7 ounces. It clearly corresponds in size to a small human cranium, with near perfect detail, even rendering the skull without the glabellar prominence or superciliary ridges, which are the characteristics of a female.

Art conservator and icon expert, Frank Dorland was given permission by the Mitchel Hedges estate to submit the Crystal Skull to tests conducted at the Hewlett-Packard Lab, Santa Clara, California. From these tests, and from careful studies done by Dorland himself, the skull revealed a whole array of When submersed in a benzyl alcohol bath, with a beam of light. passing through, it was noted that both the skull and jaw piece had come from the same block of Crystal. What is astounding though, is the skull had been carved with total disregard to the natural axis in the Quartz Crystal. In modern crystallography, the first procedure is always to determine the axis, to prevent fracturing or breakage during the subsequent shaping process. Yet the skull's maker appears to have used methods where such concerns aren't necessary.

The unknown artist also used no metal tools: Dorland was unable to find any tell tale scratch marks on the Crystal, under high powered microscopic analysis. Indeed, most metals would have been ineffectual, for the Crystal has a specific gravity of 2.65 and a Mohs hardness rating of 7. In other words even a knife can't make a mark on it. From tiny patterns in the Quartz near the carved surfaces, Dorland determined that the Skull was first meticulously chiseled into a rough form, probably using diamonds. The finer shaping, grinding and polishing, Dorland believes, was done by innumerable applications of water and Silicon-Crystal sand solutions.

The big problem is, if these were the processes used it would mean a total of 300 man years of continuous labour was spent on the skull. We must accept this almost unimaginable feat, or admit to the use of lost technology in the skull's creation - the likes of which we have no equivalent today!

The enigma of the Crystal Skull, however does not end with just its making. The zygomatic arches (the bone arch extending along the sides and front of the cranium) are accurately separated from the skull piece, and act as "light pipes". Using principles similar to modern optics, these "light pipes" channel light from the base of the skull to the eye sockets. They eye sockets are miniature concave lenses that focus light to pinpoints centred at the back of the sockets. This system is complemented by another, located under the skull where the palate would be, consisting of very small carved prisms and lenses that also transfer light from a source below, into the upper cranium. Finally, in the interior of the skull is a ribbon prism and tiny "light tunnels", by which objects held beneath the skull are brightened and magnified.

The result, with various light transfers and prismatic effects, would illuminate the entire skull and cause the entire skull to become glowing eyes. Dorland performed experiments using this technique and reports "the skull lights up like fire". He speculates that in all probability, it was first carved and put to religious use either by the legendary people of Atlantis or ancient Egyptians or maybe Babylonians. At that time it may have resembled the crude unfinished other skull, now displayed in the British Museum. Later it was used by Babylonian priests in temples on the "Hills of Skulls" perhaps 1000 BC. The Phoenicians then brought the skull from Babylon to Central America, where it was used first by Mayans and then Aztecs. It was probably the Mayans or Aztecs who completed the sculpting, detached the lower jaw and carved these magic eye-prisms.

The Crystal Skull reveals a knowledge of weights and fulcrum points. The jaw piece fits precisely onto the skull by two polished sockets, allowing the jaw to move up and down. The skull can be balanced exactly where two tiny holes are drilled on each side of its base. So perfect is the balance that the slightest breeze causes the skull to nod back and forth, the jaw opening and closing as a counter weight. Thus giving the impression of a living, talking being! Frank Dorland believes the "talking skull" was used as an oracular device, through which spiritual messages were transmitted. This mystery is heightened by certain strange phenomena within the skull that defies logical explanation.

Observers have reported that, for unknown reasons, the skull will change colour: sometimes the frontal cranium clouds up looking like white cotton, while at other times it turns perfectly clear, as if the space within disappears into an empty void. Over a period from five to ten minutes, a dark spot often begins forming on the right side and slowly blackens the entire skull, then recedes and disappears. Other have seen strange scenes reflected in the skulls eyes. Scenes of buildings and other objects appear even thought the skull is on a black background. Others hear ringing noises emanating from within and on one occasion at least, a distinct glow from no known source surrounded the skull like an aura for six minutes.

The total phenomena that various people have reported takes in all five physical senses of the brain. It changes colour and light, emits odours, creates sound, gives off sensations of heat and cold to those who touch it, even though the Crystal maintains 70 degrees F. under all conditions. It has even produced sensations of thirst and in a few cases also taste!

Frank Dorland's opinion is that "the Crystal stimulates anunknown part the brain, opening a psychic door to the Absolute". He observes "Crystals continuously put out electric like radio waves. Since the brain does the same thing, they naturally interact". He has found that periodic "happenings" in the Crystal Skull are due to the positions of the Sun, Moon and Planets.

When looking at the sum total of skill and knowledge incorporated in the Mitchell-Hedges skull, modern science is stumped as to how to explain it. Author Richard Garvin summarized the findings - "it is virtually impossible today, in the time when men have climbed mountains on the moon, to duplicate this achievement. The lenses, light pipes and prisms alone display a technical competence that the human race only achieved recently. In fact, there is no one on the globe today who could attempt to duplicate the carving. It would not be a question of skill, patience or time. It would simply be impossible." As one crystallographer of Hewlett-Packard said, "the damn thing simply shouldn't be".

Early in man's cultural development, the skull, like the skeleton, became both a symbolic and a thematic element. In early Egyptian art, the skull as a symbol was virtually non-existant but began to evolve during the Hellenistic and post-classical periods. Since then the skull has been popular and even as far north as Alaska, tombs of an advanced Arctic culture contained skulls whose empty eyes held carefully carved ivory spheres.

Frank Dorland states "It is evident that the cult of the skull or at least skull worship, has been in the past a worldwide practise among ancient peoples. From the Pacific Islands to Tibet, from Egypt to Mexico, skull worship is found in every corner of the globe. The skull was held in extremely high esteem, worshipped, adored, saved and revered. The symbol of the skull as a gruesome ugly death head seems to be most common in the last fifteen hundred years.

"The actual Quartz Skull is a magnificently sophisticated bit of masterful art and it has nothing at all to do with death or mortality in the eyes of its original makers. It was believed to be a Godhead - a symbol of all encompassing knowledge and wisdom. I believe it was a fountainhead of power and a magical talisman."

by Joshua Shapiro and Nick Nocerino, 1987.

In "Windows of Light", Randall and Vicki Baer and supported by personal experiences, the suggestion is made that Crystals are alive!

In "Windows of Light" it is stated; "Crystals are shamanic power objects par excellence. Shamans ascribe a singular importance to Quartz above all other power objects, perceiving it to be a 'live rock', a living being. As such, Crystals are regarded as the most powerful of the shaman's spirit helpers".

It has been said, we do not pick the Crystal, the Crystal picks us according to our unique vibration and which people they can best serve or who will help to assist with the large amount of re-balancing of planetary energies. A Crystal must be respected, not only as an important aspect of the Creator, but as a teacher. They will speak to you, if you are inwardly receptive. The Crystals can give us personal guidance and clear up outer confusion to allow inner clarity, hence the saying, "Crystal Clear". And most importantly, we believe they can connect one to any level or dimension within the universe!

As described earlier, Crystal Skulls first became publicly known through the efforts of explorer archeologist, F.A. Mitchell-Hedges, who led an expedition to the Mayan ruins of Lubaantum, in Honduras in 1924. It was actually Anna, his adopted daughter, who found the skull, first the top part of the skull and later, they found the lower jaw; as this particular skull has a movable jaw. Generally, most of the skulls found do not have this feature. This skull is the same size, shape and form as a human's.

Recently in Kitchener, Ontario-Canada the discoverer and current owner, Anna Mitchell-Hedges, has formed a foundation around the skull called "The Anna Mitchell-Hedges Research and Exploration Association". The most important aspect of the foundation is that they are setting up an environment where research can be done on the skull and it will not just sit in a museum. They are really interested to understand its true purpose. Anyone who is drawn to the skull can go and see it. The foundation has also come out with a book called, "The Skull Speaks" and another book has been done by a reporter - Richard Garvin, called "The Crystal Skull" from which the first section of this article was found.

The Mitchell-Hedges Skull is NOT the only Crystal Skull which has emerged. There are a number of very small skulls, like those in the museum in Mexico City and some other full, or almost full human sized ones.

The following list of skulls comes from the extensive travels and research done over many years by the well known Parapsychologist, Scientific Researcher and Teacher - F.R."Nick" Nocerino, who states that he has seen nine human sized skulls. One last note, before this list, most of these skulls seem to be found in Mexico and farther south into Central and South America, thus far!

Two Crystal skulls were brought to the United States from a Mayan Priest in Mexico within the last five years. The first one was a clear Quartz skull with circular indentations around the ears. It was brought to the Rosicrucian Museum, in San Jose, California and then about three years later, an Amethyst Skull was brought in, which currently resides in San Jose.

Mr Nocerino had an opportunity for three months with 30 other researchers, to work with the first skull, called the 'Mayan Skull'. Viewing the video tape of their sessions, you can see as different people worked or held the skull, based on their unique vibrations, different images and pictures would form inside the skull, and it would become sort of cloudy. These pictures were of different worlds, times past on the earth, there were beings which do not exist in our world today, many UFO's appeared, etc. An example of the Crystal's ability to store information on any event which occurred around it in picture form, sort of like a movie camera.

Mr Nocerino recently headed another research team, which included DaEl Walker, Ron Dickenson, and Sandra Bowen who worked with the Mitchell- Hedges Skull in Canada and again had many different pictures appearing. Many feel, that the Extra-terrestrials either brought these skulls to us or taught mankind how to make them, and certainly having UFO's appear in the skull, could support this theory.

The other skulls which been found include another clear Quartz one, now in the British Museum, somewhat smaller than the Mitchell-Hedges skull and another clear one in the Paris Museum of Man. Mr Nocerino during World War II was introduced to another skull by the French underground, which he calls, "The Nights of Christ', and on another trip into Honduras or Guatemala, he had a local shaman, who was wearing a small Crystal Skull around his neck, share with him a Rose Quartz Skull. Recently, a new Crystal Skull has been found in Peru, and there are about 5 or 6 others that he knows about, but unknown publicly. Through the Crystal Skull Society, which Nick organised in 1942, he is continually researching and receiving information on skulls around the world.

This gives a brief background on the major skulls which have surfaced and some of the work that has been done with them. But what exactly are they? Mr Nocerino feels the skulls are vast computers, storehouses of incredible knowledge, which somehow tap into the vibration of each person who works with it and shares appropriate information. It appears they are surfacing now because our Earth is in the process of going through a great spiritual evolution and cleansing, and thus encoded within the skulls is information that can assist us in getting through this period.

Sandra Bowen relates her experiences of scrying with the Mitchell-Hedges Skull, with the aid of video recordings.

"One picture that blew me away was that of a perfect UFO right in the very centre of the skull, with a space station appearing below the spacecraft. Fantastic! This picture was taken from underneath and none of us remembered it till we returned home.

One of my favourite people who appeared in the skull was the Crystal Man, who came out, usually standing, with arms outstretched, but on one occasion he was bent over. Then there was the monkey man, and the man in a turquoise robe with gold in the middle, who always appeared in between the eyes or on the nose of the skull. Also, there were always some sort of underwater creatures; big whales, small fish or underwater caverns.

It is my belief that this skull is a representative of loving, advanced space beings who delivered it to the Toltecs and it remains as their memory of these beings. Unfortunately, the Toltecs didn't always respect the inherent power of the skull. Nevertheless, a person will become aware, after being in its presence, of his/her own true essence. I have felt more confident and it's easier for me now to listen to my heart and make decisions."

In December 1943, F.A. Mitchell-Hedges disclosed in a letter to his brother that he had purchased the skull (the one he says his daughter found in the 1920’s) from London art-dealer Sydney Burney, for £400. Despite this, right up to her death in her 90’s, Anna Mitchell-Hedges continued to claim that the skull was found by her in Belize when she was a child.

In the interest of truthful journalism, this addition is intended to offer an alternative view. It is up to you to decide what to believe.