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The San
Francisco Tesla Society
Presents a free presentation by
Sunday, February 11, 2001 1:00 p.m.
at 3220 Sacramento Street (near Lyon)
San Francisco, California
Immanuel
Velikovsky was born on June 10, 1895 in Vitebsk, Russia (now part of Belarus), and studied
at universities in Edinburgh, Kralov and Moscow (M.D., 1921). He practiced medicine in
Palestine, then studied Psychology in Zurich and Vienna (1933). He moved to the United
States in 1939. In his travels Velikovsky began a life long intense study of ancient
records and legends describing strange regional or planetary cataclysms. He was an unusual
psychoanalyst by training who was not content to accept extraordinary ancient written
accounts of these cataclysms as mere myths or allegories, but chose rather to trust these
accounts as descriptions of real historic events. Velikovsky searched for scientific
mechanisms which could explain how these events might have actually occurred.
Velikovsky in 1942
Velikovsky’s first book on this subject,
Worlds In Collision, was published in 1950 and became a runaway best seller. In this book,
he proposed that the Earth experienced a series of violent encounters with comets and
other celestial bodies, and that the gravitic and electromagnetic influences from these
encounters were the means by which ancient biblical miracles at the time of Moses and the
Exodus occurred. Velikovsky had elaborate theories to explain Moses parting the Red Sea,
manna falling from heaven, and the Sun standing still in the sky for Joshua’s army.
Although Velikovsky’s ideas and character were vigorously attacked by the scientific
community, he nevertheless went on to sustain public interest and write a number of other
books. These books offered a fresh perspective on archeological puzzlements, other ancient
accounts and supporting evidence for his controversial theories. He popularized the
science of catastrophism and his energetic questioning of orthodox historic scenarios has
influenced many researchers. Immanuel Velikovsky died November 17, 1979 in Princeton, New
Jersey.
Velikovsky in 1965
Howard Lonsdale received his B. S. in Biology at Princeton University in 1955 where he also studied the philosophy of science under Einstein’s chief assistant John Kemeny. It was there that Howard also developed an interest in studying suppressed scientific ideas. Howard received his medical degree from the University of Arkansas Medical School in 1960. He became chief of staff of Broadway Hospital and also maintained a successful private practice for 32 years in Vallejo. He also served as a delegate of the California Medical Association for 14 years, was President of the Solano County Medical Society and founder of Solano Hospice. Howard has been a contributing member to the San Francisco Tesla Society for many years. Howard encourages everyone to bring any available written materials and insights regarding Velikovsky to the upcoming meeting for discussion.
You can visit the Immanuel Velikovsky archive online at http://www.varchive.org/
For more information about the San Francisco
Tesla Society or this event, call (415) 931-2593 or visit us online at http://www.sftesla.org .
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