My first impression of Nick Redfern's new book was "Whoa, that looks like a von Daniken title"!  However, it quickly became apparent that the ancient astronaut theory central to this work is actually that of Zecharia Sitchin.  This book represents an investigation into the Anunnaki, and all their works - and given the breadth of topics 'Bloodline of the Gods' covers, that is saying something.

But Sitchinites beware - Nick Redfern's appraisal of the "Twelfth Planet Theory" is fairly succinct.  One might consider that to be something of a good thing, given that most other Ufology researchers these days seem to give the late Zecharia Sitchin short shrift.  At least Redfern is relatively positive about the fairly remarkable contribution Sitchin made to the subject over several decades.  But for Redfern, Sitchin's theory is simply the opening Act in a colourful stage production of online theories, grandiose speculation and, to be honest, pseudo-science.  For he quickly draws backs a blood-red curtain to reveal the true heart of this book - the Rh negatives.  And what a wild ride this quickly becomes.

Scientifically speaking, whether you're Rh positive or Rh negative is a pretty straightforward issue.  Rhesus is simply a protein known as D antigen, which is found on red blood cells.  If you have it in your blood, as most people do, then you're Rh positive,  If you don't, then you're Rh negative.  On a racial level, the proportion of people who are Rh negative is distributed differently.  The highest proportion by far is found among the Basques in Europe -  a people (here connected with the ancient Cro-magnon heritage)  who live on either side of the Franco-Spanish border along the Bay of Biscay coast.

Apart from some potential issues during pregnancy, there are no health consequences one way or the other regarding your Rhesus status.  And that's where the science ends. 

On-line speculation about the 'otherness' of Rh Negatives appears to be widespread.  That extends to ideas about alien origins, and somehow or other that's become wrapped up in Sitchin's theories. 

I don't recall Sitchin ever discussing this possibility.  He argued that the entirety of humanity is derived from genetic experiments conducted upon hominids hundreds of thousands of years ago, creating useful slave workers.  Redfern, by contrast, appears to be arguing for an intervention which singles out a sub-species within our midst defined simply by the presence of D antigen.  The Cro-Magnon heritage appears to be an important link here.  That said, Redfern's writing seems to reflect the basic tenets of Sitchin's theory, even to the extent that he wonders how the Anunnaki and Homo Erectus could be so genetically compatible (p67).  So is it the whole species which is affected, or a sub-species within humanity?  I will try to unravel the thinking here as well as I can.

Redfern offers a broad sweep of discussion points around the subject of the Anunnaki.  He explores how these ancient aliens fit into Ufology in general.   How do they compare with the 'Greys', which Colonel Corso thought to be biological robots (pp90-1)?  The fact that the Contactees often reported human-like aliens is suggestive of a possible connection with these ancient 'space brothers'. 

Given that the abduction phenomenon seems to focus in on genetics and reproduction, often across generations of experiencers, Redfern wonders whether there is a connection with these ancient Anunnaki aliens, who might be continually monitoring the ongoing evolution of their handiwork.  It's a logical step to take, and these kinds of encounters may not be simply confined to the modern era, either, as the fairy tales of old - or even supernatural tales of succubi/incubi - contain similar elements (p136).

This abduction angle appears to be where the Rh negative connection comes in.  It's claimed that a disproportionately high number of alien abductees are Rh negative.  So, if the Anunnaki are returning in one guise or another to continue their genetic work (aided by their purpose-built Greys), then perhaps there is a reason why they are particularly interested in the Rh negative segment of the general human population. 

"Should we consider that the aliens encountered by Barney and Betty Hill, late one night in September 1961, had a lineage extending back to the days of the Cro-Magnons, the Neanderthals, and the DNA-manipulating Anunnaki?" (p144)

This presents us with a loose chain of reasoning, from Sitchin's original theory through speculation arising from some rather wild abduction reports, the titillating details of which Redfern reproduces faithfully.  We encounter, for instance, alien abductions featuring sex-mad Reptilians whose charms are, curiously, not entirely lost on their victims.   The conspiracy angle becomes a focus for attention, too, with Redfern's inclusion of MILABS, and an alleged sinister governmental interest in these disturbing matters.

I can see how this chain of reasoning hangs together, but I remain unconvinced by it, particularly the inclusion of the Rh negative angle, which seems tenuous at best.  A brief search through some scientific material online reveals an entirely different pattern emerging.  The variation in global prevalence of the Rh negatives may be due to the incidence of toxoplasmosis, associated with big cats which are the main carriers of the parasite Toxoplasma Gondii

A study has shown that the consequences upon personality and intelligence, as a result of toxoplasmosis infection in humans, can vary between Rh positive and Rh negative people

toxoplasmosis article

In turn, latent toxoplasmosis infection may eventually serve to shape cultural development as the parasitic disease manifests through individual personality and behavioural traits across populations

cultural development article

It seems to me that if there's anything to the Rh negative issue, then it's more of a feline-related problem than a reptilian one.  People who live with domestic cats, who may then have a slightly raised risk of toxoplasmosis, might be the ones you have to watch! 

Such scientific work, however tentative, is not included in this book, however.  To be fair to Nick Redfern, though, I'm not convinced that the ideas he's discussing in 'Bloodline of the Gods' reflect his own opinions on the matter.  Rather, he is setting out the latest thinking, from a wide variety of sources, irrespective of their relative credibility. 

The final section in the book is most interesting.  The author ponders upon what might happen if a Sitchin-like solution were to be proven by science.  How would the people of the world react?  How would the world religions deal with the new reality?  His concerns might reflect the kind of thinking that could ultimately lie behind a global conspiracy of debunking/misinformation on the matter.

  You can order your copy through Amazon.com here:

 Bloodline of the Gods

  If you live in the UK, you can obtain your copy through Amazon.co.uk here:

 Bloodline Of The Gods

Book review by Andy Lloyd, 6th December 2015

andy-lloyd@hotmail.com

 

 

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