Ashtar Sheran

The name "Ashtar Sheran" has no traceable etymology in ancient languages or established esoteric traditions. It emerged in the mid-20th century within the context of modern UFOlogy and channeled communications, appearing to be a coined term rather than one derived from historical linguistic roots.

Ashtar (sometimes called Ashtar Sheran) is the name given to an extraterrestrial being or group of beings that a number of people claim to have channeled. UFO contactee George Van Tassel was the first to claim to receive an Ashtar message in 1952. After the introduction of Ashtar by Van Tassel, other mediums began to claim contact. At one point, dozens of people were claiming contact with Ashtar and presenting conflicting messages. The most widely publicized of these messages were met with failure...

The emergence of "Ashtar Sheran" in the mid-20th century, as documented by George Van Tassel, presents a fascinating case study in the evolution of esoteric thought under the influence of new technological paradigms. While Blavatsky's definition points to its modern, channeled origins, the impulse behind such claims speaks to a deep-seated human impulse, one that Mircea Eliade might recognize as a desire for the sacred, for contact with beings or forces that transcend the mundane. This impulse has historically manifested in encounters with deities, angels, or enlightened masters, but in the age of the flying saucer, the locus of this transcendent encounter shifted skyward.

The messages attributed to Ashtar Sheran, often concerning universal peace, spiritual evolution, and a coming cosmic shift, echo the salvific narratives found across countless spiritual traditions. One can see parallels with the Bodhisattva ideal in Buddhism, beings who postpone their own final enlightenment to guide humanity, or with the Sufi concept of the Qutb, a spiritual pole who governs the world. The idea of a benevolent cosmic intelligence offering guidance is not new; what is new is the perceived medium of its manifestation. This phenomenon, for all its speculative nature, highlights the enduring human need for hope and a sense of cosmic belonging, a need that finds expression in whatever cultural and technological idiom is most potent in a given era. It suggests that the quest for meaning, for a guiding hand in the vastness of existence, is a constant, merely adapting its form to the prevailing imaginative currents. The allure lies not just in the extraterrestrial nature of the messenger, but in the universal promise of liberation and higher consciousness it purports to offer, a promise that resonates with the deepest aspirations of the human spirit.