THE ALIEN'S GUIDE TO EARTH

BIZARRE BELIEFS

They only live once!

So much is confused on this planet. The inhabitants once had so much knowledge that's now been lost to them. In earlier times they knew they lived many lives - on 20th century Earth they truly believe they only live once.

The western - and supposedly more technically advanced - sector of the planet is positive they only have but one lifetime despite so much evidence to the contrary. They have actually come to think of themselves as bodies and believe that their brains are the centers for thought and awareness.....and that thoughts are chemical reactions! They've totally forgotten that bodies are just vehicles. Some eastern peoples have some grasp of the truth in this matter though they've still got it rather muddled.

Humans will speak about having "deja vu" and acknowledge a strange sense of familiarity upon meeting certain people for the so-called first time, and some persevere against ridicule and speak of past life memories and after-death experiences.......so you'd think they'd all put two and two together. To be honest, some do as it's hard to ignore the considerable number who do indeed remember some of their previous lives - often in precise and verifiable detail.

They have venerable old books and prayers that refer to "one's immortal soul" yet somehow the fundamental truths have been obscured! Humans also seem to see only two choices of how they got on Earth.....one is a most amusing theory that they descended from apes, the other is that some great being put them here. Interesting version! And in their oldest written records there are descriptions of big beings from the sky and the like........intriguing, yes?

Amazingly, some humans spend much of their time - perhaps an entire lifetime - digging up old bones and old cultures. They invest masses of energy and money reconstructing pyramids, temples and whatnot, and deciphering hieroglyphics. Laugh all you like.... it's true! It's likely that the same professor spending years amid the dust and ruins of an ancient city lived there long ago, yet can he recall this? Little do these beings realize that all they have to do is remember.

One of the most astonishing obsessions humans have is preserving their bodies once the body is no longer useful. People spend enormous amounts of money on embalming (yes!) and burying and even erecting death temples to themselves. Some very wealthy ones invest in "cryonics" - deep-freezing their bodies or heads hopeful that Earth science will get it together and effect their revival! They have certainly forgotten how easily and how immediately another body can be obtained! And they don't realize that all they're doing is potentially taking themselves out of the game for longer than other people - especially if they stay stuck in their heads for a few centuries.