A Place Like No Other - My Trip To The Temples Of Humankind At Damanhur

I chose to mark the milestone of my birthday this year with the gift of a new experience and what a gift it turned out to be. 


On the 20th  September my sister Sas and I,  embarked on an exciting adventure to the beautiful Valchiusella Valley, in the foothills of the Alps in Northern Italy to visit a very special place,  the Community of  Damanhur and the Temples of Humankind.

Damanhur, a UN award-winning sustainable community, is a complex, dynamic, and creative society of people who accept the unusual as the ''norm'' and use it to accomplish the impossible.

They take action to overcome limitations, to BE the change necessary. It is painfully obvious that we are falling short of creating a truly harmonious, peaceful existence. It doesn't work for us to keep doing the same thing, thinking the same way, and expecting different results. As evidenced by our current global economical, medical, political and environmental situation, the ''norm'' simply doesn't make it anymore...but did it ever?
Evidently, we must now do something fundamentally different to provoke a change in our way of living.
Damanhur is an example that new forms of society are possible and are pathways to the creation of a new planetary balance in social, economic, human and cultural terms.

Over thirty years ago, a small group of initiates from an Italian esoteric mystery school took up hand drills and picks and started to dig the world's largest underground Temple, by hand out of solid rock. The location selected was one of only two very powerful places on the reachable surface of the earth where four synchronic lines cross. Synchronic lines are the communication pathways of the universe.
Over the years the group, without much formal training and working in secret at night,  hollowed out a series of chambers and passageways and with tenacious devotion and great precision they transformed these underground spaces into a remarkable three - dimensional recording of Humankind's existence. The Temples of Humankind, the spiritual heart of Damanhur, are an extraordinary honeycomb of mirrored stone, scared murals, sculpture, precious metals, stained glass, inlaid marble, sacred symbols, alchemical elixirs and cosmic energy circuits that have to be experienced first hand to really appreciate the scale, quality, beauty and intensity of this colossal and transformative expression of modern visionary art.
The Temples are used in experiment for time research and new healing methods. But that's not all.
According to Damanhur's philosophy, every human being has a divine principal within. The physical form that we inhabit and the dimension of time and space in which we exist are transitory. The task of human beings is to re-awaken their inner God, in order to make matter itself Divine. The search for the self and for God coincides, with the human being acting as the 'bridge-form'' between the material and spiritual planes.
The Temples of Humankind host Divine Forces, and are a medium for entering into contact with them and assisting with your personal spiritual growth.
Damanhurians believe that the way forward is to awaken the Divine in each of us, so we can reach a critical mass for conscious evolution.

My sister and I arrived at Turin Airport on a Thursday afternoon, picked up a hire car and headed north towards the mountains. We didn't end up taking the fastest route, which would have been the A5 highway connecting Turin to Aosta, as our GPS instructions were in Italian, our knowledge of which was limited to working out that ' sinistra ' was related to turning left ! Fortunately, being seasoned travellers with plenty of experience of driving overseas on the 'wrong side of the road' we managed to keep calm, maintain a sense of humour and enjoy the slower pace and splendid scenery along the quieter country roads that we found ourselves on. It took just over an hour to find the typically Italian picturesque village of Colleretto Giacosa, where we had booked accommodation at the historic Villa Soleil, approximately ten minutes drive away from Damjl, the central area of the Damanhur Federation.


Damanhur's Olami Welcome Centre are able to arrange or suggest accommodation for a range of preferences and budgets. The 'on site' accommodation was fully booked at the time of our enquiry, as it was during a special ritual time (the Autumn Equinox) and we had only decided to make the trip at the last minute. Researching and booking accommodation is second nature to me, having spent most of my working life in the travel industry and I was very happy with our choice of the nearby Villa Soleil, run by the extremely helpful and hospitable Alberto.

We had booked the Damanhur 3 day Great Rituals programme and met up with our guide and the rest of our group at 9am on the Friday morning at the Welcome Office. In addition to two of the Bullock Sister's, our small group consisted of a female and two male Russians who had come together, a lovely Italian lady called Tammy in her early thirties, and a young Danish guy who it turned out had signed up for the 'New Life' programme, for those who would like to be a temporary citizen of Damanhur for three months.

Our specialist guide first walked us round the central area of the Federation, known as Damjl, where the first historical settlement of Damanhur is located as well as the Welcome Office, arts, a cafe which serves coffee that seriously kicks butt,  a really impressive Open Temple area used for celebrations and rituals, colourful stone spirals, and a few nucelos (community homes).
Several things caught my attention. The first were the hundreds of unique little clay sculptures found all around the area, which it turns out are self sculptures created during meditation by citizens and visitors. Then there were the community homes whose exteriors were painted with bold colourful murals depicting nature and made me smile. What if I was a resident, any artist talent I may have hasn't yet emerged - would I mess up?

Another was the sound of music which seemed to come from a simple machine hooked up to a couple of plants! Our guide explained that the small device with speakers attached has two electric wires that have clamps on the end that are attached to the leaf of the plants and measures the vibration frequency the plant is giving off and transforms it instantly into sound. Wow, that blew my mind. I remember Prince Charles being ridiculed in the press a few years ago for talking to his plants, what would they have to say about singing plants?!

After our introduction to Damjl, we next headed by minibus to the main research and art centre known as  Damanhur Crea which is about 5/10 minutes journey up hill towards the mountains. If you don't have the mini bus option, or a car, you can always get a synchronic ride.
We had chance to check out the plethora of stores and galleries in which gifted artists express endless creativity. There is also a holistic centre for physical/psychological recuperation where you can find specialized doctors, physiotherapists, personal coaches and spiritual healers available for consultation.
There is a cafe and a health store here where you can stock up on goodies, including books on Damanhur. I treated myself to The Book of Synchronicity, a modern divination book by Oberto Airaudi, the founder and spiritual guide of the Federation of Damanhur.

Many subjects that are studied at Damanhur fall outside of everyday experience, yet the knowledge resulting from such a research has helped develop the broader philosophy in daily life. One such area is the ancient science based on the practical use of spirals and metals to concentrate and direct vital energies. The practical objects that are developed from this science are called Selfs. They are frequently constructed out of gold and silver, because these are the best conductors, but copper and brass are also used. There is a Selfica laboratory in Damanhur Crea where you can watch Selfs being developed and gain more detailed information.

Next was the first part of our visit of the Temples of Humankind. We headed up a mountain road passing jaw dropping scenery until we reached some electronic gates and drove into a parking lot that revealed no clue as to the underground cathedral deep down in the earth beneath our feet. We were introduced  to a second guide before our names were checked off a list and we were advised to leave our bags in the minibus, cameras included, as no pictures permitted below ground. As we approached a  nondescript door that led us to an elevator, I felt excited, yet a little apprehensive as I'm not keen on being in enclosed spaces and was hoping I wouldn't be distracted by any claustrophobia anxieties or thoughts of  trapped Chilean miners.
Before I visited Damanhur, I had checked out the website and a few videos on youtube, but nothing could have come close to preparing me for the scale, quality, beauty, energy and intensity of Damanhur's labyrinth of astonishment.

Our tour began in a two-chambered hall deep in the mountain dedicated to the Earth. I could smell earthy smells, it felt warmer than I'd imagined but still needed the additional layer over my tee shirt. I was  relieved that I didn't feel that familiar sense of anxiety creeping up on me from being in a confined space (it actually felt rather spacious) under the ground, instead I felt a sense of anticipation and wonderment. Entering the lower chamber, I stepped onto a beautifully crafted mosaic floor whose figures represented the stages in a human life. The main themes relate to the diversity of life on our planet, the cycle of life, and individual and cosmic time. The Hall is a great reminder to us of our responsibility to preserve life and diversity. I felt humbled.
The 'silent' guide, who followed up the rear of our group turned off the lights and the ceiling of the chamber turned into a starry night sky mirroring the heavens as they looked from Southern Europe 22,000 years ago, a date synonymous with the first awakening of humanity. Our group were handed cushions and we formed a circle on the floor and had some reflective time before moving on to the upper Earth chamber.

The second chamber hosts the magnificent Sun Door with it's bright golds and reds and opposite it stands the Moon Door in shades of blue and silver. I learnt that  the mosaic depicting four bulls that surrounds a circle in the centre of the floor containing a double square of the Damanhur flag, symbolizes the active male principle.
Eight columns covered in white ceramic and decorated with gold leaf motifs delineate the perimeter of the Hall.
On the walls the mural tells the story of humanity. Energetically, the paintings were dominated by a bald Blakean man with a falcon on his shoulder , a symbol of the cosmic form of Horus. One section of the wall depicted an apocalyptic battle, which our 'talking' guide pointed out that the combatants, whose faces are based on Damanhurian citizens, are fighting their own restricted and limited selves. And I noted that they were smiling as they did it.

As we were guided to the next chamber, I had to pinch myself that I wasn't on an Indiana Jones movie set, as we were led down secret passageways and taken through doors hidden in walls... expect the unexpected is an understatement when visiting The Temples of Humankind!






We arrived in a circular temple that we were told was dedicated to metals and to time. Eight precious glass windows represent eight faces, starting with an innocent child face full of wonderment connected to the metal iron, progressing through to the oldest one, connected with gold, symbolizing human existence as a journey of spiritual refinement. This was the last Hall of the morning.The following day we were to return to this chamber for a powerful meditation which connected us with our life path as we contacted ourselves in different moments in time.

After a break for lunch at the colourful Arielvo Cafe situated in the main corridor of Crea, we regrouped and headed off to the Sacred Forest to walk the stone circuits in preparation for our afternoon visit to experience the remaining temples that currently make up the Temples of Mankind. The labyrinths at the Sacred Forest act as an antennae for the Temples and here the energy is very special. We were told to walk one at a time, to get out of our heads and into our hearts, to follow where our feet took us, but to stay within the spirals and not cross the stones. My mind slowed down, I felt very peaceful and present, my senses seemed to be heightened to the sounds of crickets, birds, bees and the feeling of the life force of nature. I lost track of time, but at some point our guide asked us to make our way to an exit. I certainly felt prepped for our next Temple visit.

The second part of our visit to the Temples took as in through a different equally unassuming entrance to the one we'd taken that morning. Winding passageways decorated in sacred symbols led us to a vast Hall known as The Labyrinth. Walking along the Labyrinth is like walking through the entire history of humanity. There are many stained glass godforms dedicated to a different divine force, several of whom I recognised. The walls of the central nave illustrate the evolution of civilisation. Many crucial events of documented history are represented in this Hall. These images serve as a memory, a warning and a propitiation for future choices that lead us toward respect for cultures, diversity, harmony, peace and the evolution of humankind.

Next was the oldest and smallest Hall, the Blue Temple, built entirely with hammers and chisels. There is a female figure in the mosaic at the centre of the floor which represents ''The Star'' a card from the tarot that symbolises practical idealism and beauty. Two lasting memories from this Hall were the incredible acoustics when I stood at a certain spot and spoke, I've literally never heard anything quite like it in terms of the amplification and fullness of sound. The other was the guide asking us to stand back and then revealing a hidden trap door in the mosaic, that descended and formed a staircase - wow!

We were told that it would be too easy to take the hidden stair case to the next Hall and we were tasked with finding a secret door in a small chamber we were led to. We were given clues such as to follow the eye gaze of some of the characters painted along the wall and with a little bit of ''warmer / colder'' guidance, we located a section of the wall that with some effort started to open as we pushed hard and led us into the Water Temple, also known as the library. The walls, covered in cosmic diagrams, ancestral symbols and selfic schemes, serve to reawaken profound memories. Dedicated to the feminine principal and the female divine forces, this Hall has the shape of a chalice, a symbol of receptivity. Yet again, the art alone cannot count for the palpable sense of energy humming in this chamber, above which is a Tiffany glass cupola, through which blue light diffuses giving the sensation of being immersed underwater.

We then had a short rest bite in a small area that had chairs and a television and we watched a short video showing the original construction of the Temples. I still can't get my head round the size of the task and how they ever envisaged it was possible and what kept them going all those years against all odds.  I think they said there were 20 million buckets of rubble dug out and brought up to the surface. I don't know of a better example of ''never give up'' !

The penultimate chamber was the Hall of Spheres which we were told symbolically represents the heart of the Temples. The Hall hosts nine spheres, each containing alchemical liquids of a different colour. We were to return to this Hall the following day for what turned out to be a profound meditation with our own soul's.

The final temple of our visit was the Hall of Mirrors, dedicated to light, the air, the sky, spirituality. The light comes from above, shining through a precious cupola in Tiffany glass. The light that illuminates from within gives the impression that there is open sky above. Because of the skillful play of reflection on the surface of the mirrors, the luminosity diffuses throughout the entire space. It was like being in a pyramid of mirrors and no matter where you were you could see eight of you. We were handed a cushion, took a seat on the floor and our guide began to sound a large gong. Gongs have a special place in meditation, they omit very powerful frequencies that you can tune in to and get a sense of feeling something deeper than being human. I found myself seeing different aspects of myself in the mirrors.

Following the Temples visit, our group were taken back to Crea, where we gathered with a mixture of Damanhur citizens and visitors in the Conference Centre for a Q&A session with Falco the founder of Damanhur. Unfortunately Falco was travelling at the time of our visit, so we didn't get to meet him in person and the Q&A was conducted via a live Internet transmission, with translation facilities for us non Italian speakers. 

Falco had a vision at the age of 7 and knew then and knows now, why he is here. We often call those that know  ''masters'' or enlightened''. We treat them as gurus. Yet Falco does not want to be known as a ''guru''. He is more interested in each person discovering their own divinity inside. And just what was his plan to accomplish this? Do something that seems impossible... help create a successful community and dig the world's largest underground Temple, by hand, out of solid rock. Then use that to help us remember who we really are...Divine Beings.

Day 2, Saturday, our group met at 9.30am for a lesson on Spiritual Physics and to listen and ask questions about the research carried out at Damanhur on subjects such as cosmology, the nature of time, of our soul. Our teacher for this session was ''Gnome'' or something like that. He had been involved in esoteric physics research for 30 years and I found him to be passionate, fascinating and very knowledgable. I felt like a child again, full of curiosity and wonder and endless questions. I loved this lesson, I didn't want it to end. Why couldn't lessons at school have been this interesting and expansive. The subject matters are complex and in the time allocated, you only begin to scratch the surface, but it certainly left me feeling a strong desire to explore the mysteries of the universe in more depth. I subsequently went to visit the Olami Damanhur University team to enquire about courses and am seriously considering the 3 year Mystery School course which is an inner journey of self-discovery. The first year is dedicated to self-discovery, to connecting with our deepest nature, to the different facets of our soul, to our ancient origins. Year two is about discovering the surounding reality. The third year brings attention back on ourselves. Conscious of who we are, in harmony with our surroundings, we now are ready to know the unique role that we serve in the Universe.

Following our lesson, it was time was some lunch and free time to prepare for an afternoon of meditation back in the Temples of Humankind. I walked around Damjl, enjoying the sculptures and art work before walking the stone spiral.

At 3pm on Saturday afternoon, our group reconvened outside the  Welcome Office at Damjl and we were soon underway in the mini bus for the steep 10 minute climb up to the low key entrance to the Temples. Once inside, we waited outside the Hall of Spheres and were called one at a time to enter the Hall and were directed to one of eight chairs that were placed opposite one of the spheres filled with an alchemical concoction. We were each given a piece of paper containing a sacred geometry diagram which we were told to trace with a finger for 5 minutes or so to align ourselves with the energy of this Hall. Next we were instructed that a gong would be struck and we were to visualise and feel a spiral of golden light projecting out of our solar plexus into the centre of the sphere in front of us. We were advised to get out of our heads and into our hearts and acknowledge and feel memories and sensations that may arise. The instruction was to look into the centre of the sphere and ask ''which of my personalities is showing up here and now, is it female, male, young , old... we were to do this several times, each time being an opportunity to recognise and connect without judgement to a different aspect of our personalities. I have no idea how long the meditation lasted, but found it to be a revealing and profound experience.

We left the Hall of Spheres one by one and followed our guide down a passageway to the Hall of Metals. We all took a seat in a circle in the middle looking out at the stained glass faces representing different age spans in our life. Again we were given finger circuits to trace for 5 minutes or so to align ourselves with the energy of this Hall before commencing a powerful walking meditation focusing one at a time on the eight stained glass faces which connected us with our life path as we contacted ourselves in different moments in time.

After we left the Temples that day, I felt exhilarated but quite tired, and was happy to opt for a quiet dinner and an early night. There was an opportunity to spend the night inside the underground  Temples of Humankind in order to open up a direct channel to cosmic contact. The Temples of Humankind represent a very powerful antenna that receives messages and inspirations from far away dimensions; to tune into their frequency means to widen our perception towards the deepest breath of our Universe. This is something I definitely want to experience on my next visit but didn't feel it was something I needed to do that night. 

Day 3, Sunday, Autumn Equinox. 

Four times a year, Damanhur celebrates special moments of communion with Nature, just as many peoples and civilisations of our planet have done for thousands of years. These particular rituals are joyful moments of getting together with friends to tune in with each other and all living creatures. 

According to Damanhurian philosophy, every human being is an active part of a spiritual eco-system which includes plants, animals, the Earth as a living being and vaster and vaster spiritual Forces. The rituals of the Equinoxes and other important occasions are for inner renewal and contact with Divine Forces. 

We met up with our group and many other visitors to Damanhur at 11am and gathered around a Damanhurian who talked to us about the Equinox ritual and answered questions. The Equinoxes are the dates where the length of day and night are equal. Most civilisations on earth have celebrated these moments representing the perfect balance in nature, before the earth starts again its movement towards or away from the sun. 

The ritual itself took place within the stone circle at Damjl and is run by the School of Meditation, of which all full citizens are initiates. It was a joyful celebration of prayer, song and dance which lasted around 45 minutes. Visitors gathered around the outside of the circle and many danced around to the rhythmic sounds of drummers. The ritual is precise and Damanhurians take them seriously. The timing and every move, sound, word, colour, robe and instrument used play an important part in the intention and success of the ritual. These have been perfected over time and are effective for the purpose they serve. So if you are told certain protocol to follow, you are asked to respect that there are well thought out reasons for these protocol and adhere to them. From my experience, it's a good idea to ask for guidance on the protocol in advance of the ritual, as we weren't clear. My sister had put down a water bottle in the area she had been standing before dancing around the circle, not realising that visitors would be led out of the stone circle in advance of the Damanhurians at the end of the ritual and wouldn't be allowed back in again. Once she explained her predicament to one of the citizens, he helpfully went back and retrieved said item.

We left Damanhur around 3pm that afternoon for our 5.25pm flight from Turin back to London realising that part of the magic of the Temples, is that their very existence strives to confirm the reality of Damanhur's esoteric source of inspiration. How else could they have pulled off this seemingly impossible, immensely inspired task? I'm just amazed that more people don't seem to know of the existence of this ''Eighth Wonder Of The World''.

What next for Damanhur? Damanhurians like to achieve the impossible. For the celebration of human creativity, they are building a modern theatre to seat 1000 guests, a huge library for sacred and spiritual texts, plus innovative spaces for healing and research.

 I feel more people should know about and have the opportunity to experience Damanhur . I decided that with my background in the travel industry, and passion for what I'd experienced, I'd be well placed for organising  small group tours to Damanhur and the Temples of Humankind to coincide with rituals such as Solstices, Equinoxes and the full moon Rite of The Oracle.

If this is something you may be interested in, then leave your name and email address in the box to the top right of this post, which in addition to receiving four free step by step guides to the manifestation process, you'll receive updates on the trips I'm organising to The Temples of Humankind and other inspiring sacred sites.

Written by: Clare Bullock

Source: Damanhur and Temples of Humankind website and the book Damanhur Guide written by Adam and Gabrielle Dejamour.