Martin Sellner

Escape to Agartha

Agartha is a popular modern myth. It used to be a niche topic in right-wing esoteric circles. Then it became a trend on right-wing social media and has now (almost) reached the mainstream. There might soon be concerned mainstream articles about Agartha, Vril

Caveat: The important thing here is not to take everything too seriously. Irony is the glue that holds this whole meme-universe together. Anyone who takes things deadly seriously or gets triggered has lost. These are also the rules for this thread. Let's go! 
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The land of Agartha, with its capital Shambala, and Shangri-La are legendary places from Tibetan and Hindu mythology. This mythology is often accompanied by the idea of an inner Earth, to which there are numerous secret entrances. At the centre of this inner Earth is a central

The ideas came to Europe via the reception of Eastern mythology in modern European occultism. In 1873, Louis Jacolliot wrote in his book ‘Les Fils de Dieu’ (The Sons of God) about the ‘sons of God’ of ‘Asgartha’ as an underground realm of god-men. In the novel ‘The Coming Race’

The legendary land in the north, which the Greeks believed to be the home of Apollo, is said to have been a polar continent during the Golden Age. Superior ‘people of light’ also lived there. When the Golden Age came to an end, they fled to the interior of the Earth. Compare this

Descendants of the Hyperboreans who remained on Earth founded Atlantis, another legendary place that was believed to be located anywhere from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean to Heligoland, the South Pole, etc. The Atlantean empire created a global high culture dominated by

Another interpretation of Agartha and Shambhala is as symbols of inner awakening, also representing chakras and body regions such as the third eye and kundalini. Reception in Europe ranged from the flowery, universalistic New Age occultism of Blavatsky's circles, to wild

The more enlightened and alienated the present, the greater became the longing for myths and deep roots in the past. The fascination with the occult reached its peak in the interwar period. Numerous Germanic leagues, lodges, esotericists, gurus sprang up. It felt like ancient

Agartha, Atlantis and Hyperborea became often interchangeable places of longing in a materialistic, nihilistic mostly post-Christian society. An occult counter-history, from the cult of Mithras to the Cathars, Troubadours, Hermetics, Fedeli d'Amore, Rosicrucians, Templars, etc.

This is repeating right now, sped up by the internet. A colourful, visually stunning, extravagant lore is perfect for modern meme and reel culture. What was a few apocryphal YouTube videos and PDF torrents 15-20 years ago is now celebrated by millions. Hard beats, fast cuts,

The success is logical: our society is even more alienated and uprooted. Eichendorff speaks from the hearts of zoomers: ‘We long for home and don't know where to go.’ Agartha, Vril and CO became a metaphysical homeland for a "lost generation" of isolated disenfranchised white

Memes, music, humor and icons create a stronger identity than ideas and theories. For many young people, this lore is probably the first taste of mystery in an otherwise dull life. It is like a political incorrect ‘letter from Hogwarts’ that transports you to a fascinating,

The massive lore surrounding the ‘Reichsdeutsche’, Neuschwabenland, Highjump, Landig, Helsing, flying saucers, aliens, paleoastronautics, time travel, etc. has not even been touched upon here. My approach is cultural-anthropological and semiotic: I am interested in symbols and

PS: I have made every effort to remove all symbols illegal by austrian and german law from each image. I distance myself from Agartha, Shambala, Hyperborea, Atlantis and, in particular, Vril. I also want to make it clear that I don't know the way to Agartha.
Any political