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| Foto:Gemini Ai |
VISTORBELITUNG.COM,Tanjung Pandan, Bangka Belitung Islands – May 9, 2025 – The name "Lemuria" conjures images of a lost, ancient land, a cradle of advanced civilization submerged beneath the waves. While the concept has captured the imagination of spiritual seekers and alternative history enthusiasts, its origins lie in a 19th-century scientific theory that has since been superseded.
The initial idea of a lost continent called Lemuria emerged from the work of British zoologist Philip Sclater in 1864. Sclater proposed the existence of a sunken landmass in the Indian Ocean to explain the puzzling distribution of lemur fossils found in Madagascar and India. He theorized that this "Lemuria" served as a land bridge connecting these distant regions.
However, it's crucial to understand that the scientific theory of a physical continent of Lemuria has been discarded by the modern scientific community following the widespread acceptance of continental drift and plate tectonics in the 20th century. These geological theories provided a more robust explanation for the distribution of species across continents.
Lemuria's Enduring Presence in Occult and Spiritual Traditions
Despite its scientific obsolescence, the notion of Lemuria has persisted and evolved within occult and spiritual traditions, largely popularized by figures like Helena Blavatsky, a co-founder of Theosophy in the late 19th century.
Within this context, Lemuria is often portrayed as A Lost Ancient Continent: A vast landmass that existed in the distant past and subsequently sank, frequently associated with a location in the Indian Ocean. An Advanced Ancient Civilization: The inhabitants of Lemuria are often depicted as an ancient race of humans who were highly spiritually evolved and possessed extraordinary psychic abilities. Some narratives even suggest they had advanced technology. An Origin Point for Humanity or Specific Races: In certain beliefs, the Lemurian race is considered one of the "root races" in human evolution, or even the ancestors of specific ethnic groups, including some beliefs in Indonesia linking them to the Sundanese people.A Realm of Peace and Harmony: In modern spiritual narratives, Lemuria is often romanticized as a golden age where humans lived in harmony with nature and possessed profound spiritual wisdom.
The Indonesian Connection
In recent years, the concept of Lemuria has gained traction among certain segments of Indonesian society, particularly within the Sundanese community. There's a belief that the Lemurian civilization were the ancestors of the Sundanese people and Indonesians in general. This belief is sometimes linked to local archaeological findings (though their interpretation is debated) and the etymology of the Sundanese word "lembur" (village, homeland), which is speculated by some to originate from "Lemuria."
The concept of Lemuria has followed two distinct historical paths. Scientifically, the theory of a physical Lemurian land bridge is outdated. However, within the realms of spirituality and some alternative historical theories, Lemuria remains a potent and captivating idea, often associated with an advanced ancient civilization, the origins of humanity, and a lost golden age. It is important to distinguish between the scientifically rejected view and the spiritual or cultural interpretations associated with Lemuria.