Integratron
Encyclopedia
The Integratron is a dome-shaped structure constructed out of plywood and fiberglass by George Van Tassel
. He built the structure in Landers, California
, USA as a "rejuvenation machine" supposedly following instructions provided by
visitors from the planet Venus
.
was a former aircraft mechanic and flight inspector who moved out to California's
Mojave Desert
to operate an airport and inn. During his time there, he supposedly began meditating under Giant Rock
, which the Native Americans
of the area held to be sacred. In August 1953, Van Tassel claimed that he had been contacted both telepathically and later in person by Venusians, who gave him a technique to rejuvenate human cell tissues. Van Tassel, acting on these instructions, began constructing the Integratron in 1954.
Construction costs were paid for by an annual series of successful UFO conventions, the Giant Rock Spacecraft Conventions, which continued for nearly 25 years. Van Tassel was clearly inspired by earlier
1950s contactee George Adamski
. Construction of the Integratron was supposedly complete in 1959, but Van Tassel continued to make minor modifications until his sudden death in 1978.
The Integratron, despite being built without nails, survived a magnitude-7.3 earthquake in 1992.
of domes, and their ability to concentrate mystical "energies" within the earth. The Integratron is also said to be constructed atop a powerful "energy vortex". According to adherents of this belief, the dome-shape naturally concentrates the energies of the vortex for the benefit of users. Also, the building is said to borrow design cues from the Tabernacle
of Moses
and the King's Chamber of the Great Pyramid of Giza
, both of which were thought by some occultists to have similar "energy focusing" properties.
The second part of the theory centers around the belief that human beings are truly electrical in nature. It is believed that, though each individual has his unique personal "wavelength," the multiple wavelengths of energy put out by "focusing and concentrating devices" such as the Integratron will find a "resonance" with the individual's basic harmonic frequency and "re-charge" his cellular structure, as if he were a battery.
bowls; this is said to have a deep calming effect. The Integratron website claims "it is the only all-wood
, acoustically perfect sound chamber in the U.S."
George Van Tassel
George Van Tassel was an American contactee, ufologist, and paranormal research leader who commenced building the Integratron in 1958 in Landers, California.- History :...
. He built the structure in Landers, California
Landers, California
Landers is an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, California. The town lies in the Homestead Valley of the Mojave Desert, northeast of Flamingo Heights. The closest large towns are Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree. The town has its own small airport, Landers Airport.Near Landers is Giant...
, USA as a "rejuvenation machine" supposedly following instructions provided by
visitors from the planet Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
.
Construction
George van TasselGeorge Van Tassel
George Van Tassel was an American contactee, ufologist, and paranormal research leader who commenced building the Integratron in 1958 in Landers, California.- History :...
was a former aircraft mechanic and flight inspector who moved out to California's
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
to operate an airport and inn. During his time there, he supposedly began meditating under Giant Rock
Giant Rock
Giant Rock is a large freestanding boulder in the Mojave Desert near Landers, California, that covers of ground and is seven stories high.In ancient times it was considered sacred by the Native Americans of the Joshua Tree, California, area. In the 1950s it was a gathering point for UFO believers...
, which the Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
of the area held to be sacred. In August 1953, Van Tassel claimed that he had been contacted both telepathically and later in person by Venusians, who gave him a technique to rejuvenate human cell tissues. Van Tassel, acting on these instructions, began constructing the Integratron in 1954.
Construction costs were paid for by an annual series of successful UFO conventions, the Giant Rock Spacecraft Conventions, which continued for nearly 25 years. Van Tassel was clearly inspired by earlier
1950s contactee George Adamski
George Adamski
George Adamski was a Polish-born American citizen who became widely known in ufology circles, and to some degree in popular culture, after he claimed to have photographed ships from other planets, met with friendly Nordic alien "Space Brothers", and to have taken flights with them...
. Construction of the Integratron was supposedly complete in 1959, but Van Tassel continued to make minor modifications until his sudden death in 1978.
The Integratron, despite being built without nails, survived a magnitude-7.3 earthquake in 1992.
Theory
The workings of the Integratron, according to Van Tassel, supposedly rely chiefly on two principles. The first principle involves the occult sacred geometrySacred geometry
Sacred geometry is the geometry used in the planning and construction of religious structures such as churches, temples, mosques, religious monuments, altars, tabernacles; as well as for sacred spaces such as temenoi, sacred groves, village greens and holy wells, and the creation of religious art...
of domes, and their ability to concentrate mystical "energies" within the earth. The Integratron is also said to be constructed atop a powerful "energy vortex". According to adherents of this belief, the dome-shape naturally concentrates the energies of the vortex for the benefit of users. Also, the building is said to borrow design cues from the Tabernacle
Tabernacle
The Tabernacle , according to the Hebrew Torah/Old Testament, was the portable dwelling place for the divine presence from the time of the Exodus from Egypt through the conquering of the land of Canaan. Built to specifications revealed by God to Moses at Mount Sinai, it accompanied the Israelites...
of Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
and the King's Chamber of the Great Pyramid of Giza
Great Pyramid of Giza
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact...
, both of which were thought by some occultists to have similar "energy focusing" properties.
The second part of the theory centers around the belief that human beings are truly electrical in nature. It is believed that, though each individual has his unique personal "wavelength," the multiple wavelengths of energy put out by "focusing and concentrating devices" such as the Integratron will find a "resonance" with the individual's basic harmonic frequency and "re-charge" his cellular structure, as if he were a battery.
Modern Uses
After van Tassel died, there was a proposal to turn the Integratron into a Disco, but these plans were never realized. New owners now operate the Integratron as a tourist attraction. They allow scientific studies of the structure and promote the unusual practice known as a "sound bath." During a sound bath, groups of people are exposed to harmonic sound frequencies produced by quartzQuartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
bowls; this is said to have a deep calming effect. The Integratron website claims "it is the only all-wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
, acoustically perfect sound chamber in the U.S."
Integratron in popular culture
MusicMusic
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
- The band ZwanZwanZwan was an American alternative rock band that was formed by members of The Smashing Pumpkins, Slint, Tortoise, Chavez, and A Perfect Circle. Zwan was started in late 2001 by Billy Corgan, lead singer and guitarist of The Smashing Pumpkins, after the Pumpkins disbanded in December 2000. The band...
filmed the video for their song "Honestly" inside the Integratron. - The English indie rock band Arctic MonkeysArctic MonkeysArctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
recorded part of their song "Secret Door" at the Integratron in 2008. - The Integratron was featured on season 7, episode 13 of "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations".