The Federation of Damanhur

Shifting to a 'higher level' human species has occurred before. Long ago on earth, the Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon shared the same valley. The Neanderthal died off and Cro-Magnon advanced to become our common ancestor. Today in Italy there is a group of people who call themselves Damanhurians. They may represent the next stage in human development.

Alexia Parks, Rapid Evolution, The Education Exchange, 2002

History:

"Damanhur is an internationally renowned center for spiritual research. Situated in Valchiusella Valley, in the Alpine foothills of northern Italy, Damanhur is a Federation of Communities and Regions with over 800 citizens, a social and political structure, a Constitution, 40 economic activities, its own currency, schools and a daily paper." 1 They have a "university that attracts philosophical and spiritual students of all ages from all over the world. They describe themselves as the result of the practical application of a spiritual philosophy in harmony with the environment and our Planet."2

Damanhur was founded by Oberto Airaudi (1950 -) in 1975.  It is "the largest communal group in the ancient wisdom-magical tradition." It may well be the largest spiritual communal group in the world. 3

Airaudi and his supporters purchased property in the Italian Alps, in a region of Piedmont less than 30 miles north of the city of Turin. Two dozen pioneers organized the initial settlement. It was named Damanhur after an Egyptian city, located 100 miles "northwest of Cairo in the middle of the western Delta. It was once the site of the city of Tmn-Hor, dedicated to Horus." 4 The group grew to include 200 "citizens" in 1985, 450 by 1998, and exceeded 800 by early in 2000. In addition, there are hundreds of associated members who donate to the community and attend some of its functions. Member satisfaction appears to be high; very few citizens leave the community.

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Beliefs:

Damanhur is a unique spiritual and religious group whose beliefs are derived from several ancient sources: Celtic Paganism, Celtic Christianity, Egyptian and Greek Pagan religion. Influences from Gnosticism, the New Age and Theosophy are also present.
They believe in an extensive pantheon of supernatural beings, consisting of:
*a single, unknowable God.
*Intermediate or Primeval Deities of which nine are self-generated. The remainder have been created by humanity.
*Entities, including angels, demons and nature spirits.
*The first human was a Primeval Deity who suffered a fall and merged with a human body. One of the goals of Damanhur is to help individuals return to what they call the original "subtler" pre-fall state.
*In common with many New Age and occultic believers, they regard the earth as a living entity. They believe that a series of synchronic lines traverse its surface. The community located their site at what they believe is a point of convergence of three such lines. These "rivers of energy surround the earth and link it to the universe."
*They believe that a major ecological disaster may occur in the near future. They view one of their major tasks as attempting to reintegrate the Earth and prevent the catastrophe.
*They believe that three "Mother worlds" were initially created; one each for humans, plants and nature spirits.
*They have developed techniques that allow individuals to contact what they call the "race minds" of humanity and of animals.

The Federation Of Damanhur, often called simply Damanhur, is a commune and spiritual community situated in the Piedmont region of northern Italy about 30 miles north of the city of Turin. It is located in the foothills of the Alps in the Valchiusella valley.

Damanhur is named after the Egyptian city of Damanhur which was the site of a temple dedicated to Horus.

It was founded in 1975 by Oberto Airaudi with around 24 followers and had grown to 800 by the year 2000. The group hold a mix of New Age and neopagan beliefs. They gained fame in 1992 through the disclosure of their secret excavation of an extensive underground temple, the Temple of Mankind. This artistic work was ordered to be destroyed by the Italian authorities because it had been constructed without planning approval, but this order was subsequently revoked. Its supporters claim the growth and activity of the community has revitalized the local area, which had experienced most of their younger generations moving to the cities.