Erich von Däniken (1935–2026): Chariots of the Gods & a Lasting Legacy

Do you suffer from back or neck pain? Trinity Health of New England has the latest methods and technology to help. Our team looks at many treatment options to create a plan that's right for you. From physical therapy and pain management to advanced spine surgery. Say goodbye to living with pain. Reach out to Trinity Health of New England today and get back to enjoying your daily activities. TrinityHealthofNE.org slash spine. Trinity Health. We see all of you. Running a business is hard enough. Don't make it harder with a dozen apps that don't talk to each other. One for sales, another for inventory, a separate one for accounting. That's software overload. Odoo is the all-in-one platform that replaces them all. CRM, accounting, inventory, e-commerce, HR. Fully integrated, easy to use, and built to grow with your business. Thousands have already made the switch. Why not you? Try Odoo for free at odoo.com. That's odoo.com. Cancer. You hope to never hear it. But if you do, you'll want a team of experts by your side. At Trinity Health of New England, we understand the stress that comes with a cancer diagnosis. Our team of compassionate oncology specialists provide the latest treatments to take care of the whole person. We know the importance of seeing the person behind the patient. Because we see all of you. Learn more at TrinityHealthofNE.org slash cancer. Running a business is hard enough. So why make it harder with a dozen different apps that don't talk to each other? One for sales, another for inventory, a separate one for accounting. Before you know it, you are drowning in software instead of growing your business. This is where Odoo comes in. Odoo is the only business software you'll ever need. It's an all-in-one, fully integrated platform that handles everything. CRM, accounting, inventory, e-commerce, HR, and more. No more app overload. No more juggling logins. Just one seamless system that makes work easier. And the best part? Odoo replaces multiple expensive platforms for a fraction of the cost. It's built to grow with your business. Whether you are just starting out or already scaling up. Plus, it's easy to use, customizable, and designed to streamline every process. So you can focus on what really matters. Running your business. Thousands of businesses have made the switch. So why not you? Try Odoo for free at odoo.com. That's O-D-O-O dot com. Greenlight Family Shield is there for that first paycheck. When teens are excited and risks aren't obvious yet. As teens start earning, they're learning fast. But they're still new to spotting fraud. Greenlight helps them save, spend, and invest responsibly. While monitoring for identity theft and suspicious activity. With alerts, credit monitoring, and up to $1 million in identity theft coverage, parents get real peace of mind as their teens gain independence. Don't wait. Try Greenlight risk-free today at greenlight.com slash scam. This podcast is sponsored by Nurture Life. Hey, it's Danielle Fischel from Podmeats World. And as a mom to two growing boys, I know how chaotic mealtime can get. No matter how confident I am with what I'm serving them, my kids will always find a way to call the meal gross or stinky or yuck. It's true, they can be wildly picky about new foods. And with my busy schedule, I don't have the time to become America's next top chef. And so that's why I love Nurture Life. It's a meal delivery service that actually caters to kids. Ideal for ages 8 months to 8 years. Fully cooked and ready to serve in just one minute. It's the problem solver I've been praying for. It's the top meal delivery service for babies, toddlers, and kids. And everything is designed by registered dietitians. So you can sleep safe knowing your kids are getting the protein, veggies, and nutrients they need. While still eating favorites like mac and cheese, spaghetti and meatballs, and so much more. Plus, it's allergy-friendly, which we know is clutch. And when it comes to options, Nurture Life has you covered. There's more than 50 nutritious meals and snacks on their menu. From soft finger foods for babies and toddlers to balanced kids' meals for when they get older. Nurture Life does the cooking, they deliver it straight to your door, and then you might even have time to eat something for yourself. So now is the time to head to NurtureLife.com slash P-O-D and use code POD for 50% off your first order, plus free shipping. That's right, 50% off plus free shipping. Once again, that's NurtureLife.com slash POD. And make sure you use promo code P-O-D. Even if you aren't a parent with young kids, you might have parent friends who struggle with mealtime. Make sure to share our code P-O-D with them. Remember, put your little ones first with healthy meals from Nurture Life. That website, one more time, is NurtureLife.com slash P-O-D pod. Hi, everyone, and welcome back to That UFO Podcast. As always, my name is Andy, and today's episode is a little bit different to normal. It's a moment to pause, reflect, and acknowledge the passing of one of the most influential and controversial figures in modern UFO and alternative history culture. Now, the Swiss author Eric von Daniken, whose book in 1968, Chariots of the Gods, helped popularize the idea that ancient civilizations may have been influenced by visitors from beyond Earth. He sadly passed away in hospital on January 10th of 2026 at the age of 90. So, an incredible innings for Mr. von Daniken. Eric von Daniken was not a scientist. He was not an archaeologist and not a historian. He was a writer, but few individuals have shaped the public conversation around ancient mysteries and the possibility of extraterrestrial contact, quite like he did. He was born in Switzerland in 1935, and von Daniken rose to global prominence in 1968 with the publication of Chariots of the Gods. The book explored the idea that ancient civilizations may have been influenced by advanced non-human intelligences, a concept that challenged conventional interpretations of history and religion at the time. Von Daniken drew attention to ancient texts, monumental architecture, religious imagery, and artifacts he believed were difficult to explain within traditional historical frameworks. He suggested some of these could be reinterpreted as evidence of misunderstood technology or contact rather than purely symbolic or mythological accounts. Mainstream archaeologists, historians, and scientists strongly rejected those conclusions and still do. His work was widely criticized for speculation, selective use of evidence, and for underestimating the capabilities of ancient cultures. Those criticisms were substantial and remained part of the historical record. Von Daniken himself framed his work not as settled science, but as a challenge to established narratives, an invitation to ask provocative questions rather than to offer definitive answers. What can't be disputed is impact. Chariots of the Gods became an international bestseller, selling tens of millions of copies worldwide and being translated into dozens of languages. While von Daniken did not originate the ancient astronaut idea, his work popularized it on a global scale and brought it firmly into public consciousness. Over the decades that followed, he published more than 40 books, including Gods from Outer Space, The Gold of the Gods, and Signs of the Gods. His ideas influenced documentaries, debates, and later television programming, including series most famously as Ancient Aliens, one I was very privileged to take part of in the last couple of years as well, which carried variations of these themes into the 21st century. For many people, von Daniken was their first exposure to the idea that humanity's past and potentially its future might be connected to intelligence beyond Earth. Even those who strongly disagree with its conclusions often acknowledge his role in sparking curiosity about ancient history, space, and humanity's place in the universe. Now, a lot of folks, and one of the reasons I'm putting this show out as a standalone show, have asked me or said, you know, it's a shame I never got to interview Eric von Daniken. Actually, I did a couple of years ago now, three or four years ago, before many of you listening to this or watching ever got the chance to hear it. It was never released on video, and it is only audio, so I don't have the video for it, folks, and I have cleaned up the audio. It was back in the day when I was still learning the podcast ropes, and I got like a 10 or 11 minute interview with Eric von Daniken to preview his appearance at Contact in the Desert. Funnily enough, you can imagine my early days with this accent, and a very elderly, 86 years old at the time, Eric von Daniken, with his Swiss voice. There was a few edits had to be made for me repeating questions, and I think at times Mr. von Daniken went off and answered a question I perhaps hadn't asked, but I got some wonderful sound bites from him. So what I'm going to do is play that 11 minutes for you now, and then I'll come back and finish off this special episode celebrating the work of Eric von Daniken. Hi, everyone, and welcome to a special Contact in the Desert preview interview, and I know I've been excited for a lot of them, but this one particularly is someone I've been looking forward to speaking to for a long time on the podcast. I have Eric von Daniken, famous author, lecturer, speaker, among many other things. Eric, welcome to the podcast. Well, it's a pleasure to talk to you. The pleasure is all mine, I can assure you, on this occasion, Eric. Now, Eric, I always ask my guests to briefly introduce themselves, and someone of your standing in stature, many of the listeners will know who you are already, but if you don't mind, just give the listeners a little bit of your background, please. Okay, my name is Eric von Daniken. I am Swiss. By the way, in the meantime, I'm quite an old man. I'm 86 years old, but the gods love me. More than 50 years in the past, I have written the book Chariots of the Gods, which has become a world bestseller. Since Chariots of the Gods, I have published so far 43 other titles, and they all have to do with the same theme. I am sure thousands of years ago, our planet Earth was visited by beings from outer space. These visitors, they beheld themselves like today's ethnologists would do. They studied a few groups. They learned a few languages of them. They instructed a few of the humans, and finally they disappeared with the promise in the far future, they would return to our planet Earth again. And this promise of the returning has become part of every culture and every religion, and I even believe that today they are back. We are again visited by beings from outer space. Because somebody is controlling and watching us. Now, Eric, I've got a couple of questions for you, but first I want to ask you about your appearance at this year's Contact in the Desert. Is this your first virtual expo? Obviously, you're used to attending many of these in person and meeting people. How do you feel about it being all online? Well, I'm very happy. Of course, normally I love to be there in person. Personal contact is wonderful, but I'm quite prepared to do this time Contact in the Desert online. It will be a pleasure too. Of course, I will have two speeches, and as I'm informed by my secretary, I will also be part of a panel discussion. So it will be a pleasure contacting the desert from the 25th to 27th June. Yes, and can I just ask, what are your lectures on? I've got here that one lecture will be The Gods Were Astronauts, and there will also be a workshop on the return of the gods. Can you give the listeners, or anyone who buys a ticket for Contact in the Desert, a little preview of what they're going to be hearing about? Well, you know, these gods, the so-called gods, they have not left direct proof. For example, until today, I have never found an extraterrestrial object on this planet, which I would proudly present to the scientific community, telling them this object is not from this planet. But our ancestors, some thousands of years ago, they have written about these extraterrestrials. Some of our ancestors have learned the language of the extraterrestrials. They were invited in their spaceships, and I know these books. I know these texts of the ancestors. This is my speciality. I know everything about Enoch, or Arjuna, who comes from India, or Ezekiel from the Bible, etc. And about all these contacts, and what these old people who were in contact with extraterrestrials said about them, teached about them, that's all in my speech. Do you suffer from back or neck pain? Trinity Health of New England has the latest methods and technology to help. Our team looks at many treatment options to create a plan that's right for you. From physical therapy and pain management to advanced spine surgery. Say goodbye to living with pain. Reach out to Trinity Health of New England today and get back to enjoying your daily activities. TrinityHealthofNE.org slash spine. Trinity Health. We see all of you. Running a business is hard enough, so why make it harder with a dozen different apps that don't talk to each other? One for sales, another for inventory, a separate one for accounting. Before you know it, you are drowning in software instead of growing your business. This is where Odoo comes in. Odoo is the only business software you'll ever need. It's an all-in-one, fully integrated platform that handles everything. CRM, accounting, inventory, e-commerce, HR, and more. No more app overload. No more juggling logins. Just one seamless system that makes work easier. And the best part? Odoo replaces multiple expensive platforms for a fraction of the cost. It's built to grow with your business, whether you are just starting out or already scaling up. Plus, it's easy to use, customizable, and designed to streamline every process so you can focus on what really matters, running your business. Thousands of businesses have made the switch, so why not you? Try Odoo for free at odoo.com. That's O-D-O-O dot com. This podcast is sponsored by Nurture Life. Hey, it's Danielle Fishel from Podmeets World, and as a mom to two growing boys, I know how chaotic mealtime can get. No matter how confident I am with what I'm serving them, my kids will always find a way to call the meal gross or stinky or yuck. It's true. They can be wildly picky about new foods. And with my busy schedule, I don't have the time to become America's next top chef. And so that's why I love Nurture Life. It's a meal delivery service that actually caters to kids, ideal for ages eight months to eight years, fully cooked and ready to serve in just one minute. It's the problem solver I've been praying for. It's the top meal delivery service for babies, toddlers, and kids, and everything is designed by registered dieticians. So you can sleep safe knowing your kids are getting the protein, veggies, and nutrients they need while still eating favorites like mac and cheese, spaghetti and meatballs, and so much more. Plus, it's allergy friendly, which we know is clutch. And when it comes to options, Nurture Life has you covered. There's more than 50 nutritious meals and snacks on their menu, from soft finger foods for babies and toddlers to balanced kids' meals for when they get older. Nurture Life does the cooking, they deliver it straight to your door, and then you might even have time to eat something for yourself. So now is the time to head to nurturelife.com slash P-O-D and use code POD for 50% off your first order, plus free shipping. That's right, 50% off plus free shipping. Once again, that's nurturelife.com slash POD and make sure you use promo code P-O-D. Even if you aren't a parent with young kids, you might have parent friends who struggle with mealtime. Make sure to share our code P-O-D with them. Remember, put your little ones first with healthy meals from Nurture Life. That website, one more time, is nurturelife.com slash P-O-D pod. I'm sure people will be looking forward to hearing all about that. Now, Eric, I want to also ask you, have you been keeping up to date with recent events and some of the UAP or UFO videos that have gone out online from Jeremy Corbell and George Knapp? No, unfortunately not. All true. I said in the beginning, I'm 86 years old. In practice, I have never had the chance to see a UFO. I am sure they do exist. We have thousands of witnesses, but I myself never saw a UFO. No, that's totally fine. And obviously, going back a few more years, there's so much talk now and you have written numerous books about UFO aliens and UFOs visiting us thousands of years ago from other planets. What do you think about the chances of some of these beings being from here, but from different realities and different dimensions? This is all possible. You know, you could imagine maybe our own, we humans in the far future, we had some high technology. It might be that our own ancestors left our planet Earth some thousands of years ago in a spaceship and then they returned again to Earth. But in the meantime, our civilization on the planet was destroyed. So, we were visited by our own people. That's one possibility. The other possibility, they are spiritual beings. They influence spiritually. They go into the brain of some persons and teach them in belongings. But according to the old texts, they were here in person. They were here in reality. These spaceships of these extraterrestrials were described by our ancestors. Just take Ezekiel. Ezekiel is a prophet in the Bible which everyone can control. Ezekiel describes not only something spiritual, he describes something with the legs, with the wings, with sparkling, with the wheels which could go in every direction, with the noise these vehicles made. So, these beings were here in person with technology in the past. And this is all part of my speech. I would love to ask you, Eric, if your book Chariots of the Gods that you see now, it's amazing, it came out 50 years ago. If that came out in 2021, do you think the book would have a similar impact that it had then as now or have times changed too much? You know, when I wrote Chariots of the Gods, I was, professionally, I was the manager of a first-class hotel in Switzerland. I was not a writer at all, but this team of extraterrestrials has interested me since I was a student. So, since I was 16, I had all this in my mind. I was visiting archaeological sites worldwide, all through as a hotel manager. I did all this. I was reading old texts at that time and long before Chariots of the Gods in 1968 came on the market. I have published several articles in several newspapers with the question were we visited by being from outer space? So, all this is not only Chariots of the Gods. It started long, long before. By the way, it started because of religious doubts. I was educated as a Catholic and a very strong Catholic and of course I believe in God. Still today, I'm a deep believer in God. I'm one of these figures who still pray. But then as a young man, as a student, I had doubts because the God I believed in would not need a vehicle in which to move from point A to point B. God is something spiritual. God is here all over or God would never make a mistake. He would know what's the future. But in the Bible, we have descriptions of God, for example, in the book of Moses, how he descends with smoke and fire and trembling and loud noise, etc. All this brought me doubts in my young brain and I asked myself, are these descriptions the real God, the one which I adore and pray to or is this a misunderstanding? And that was the beginning of all this. Eric, do you think in 2021, we as a species, as humans, are ready to know the truth about the ET or UFO, you know, inhabitants? I am sure within the next one year, we will know that extraterrestrials do exist, that we have been influenced because they are here and they will make contact with us sooner or later officially and we have to learn to become humble again. We are not the only species in the universe. The universe is full with thousands and ten thousands of other intelligent beings. We are just one of them. By the way, we are not just one. You know, in the old holy text, including in the Bible, they say that God or the gods in plural created humans according their own image. If we look at it this way, we are simply the offsprings of them. And recently, you have started your own podcast, Eric, called Chariots of the Gods Podcast. Already, you have interviewed Steve Mera, Brian Foster and I believe Andrew Collings as your next guest in a couple of days' time. What has got you to join the world of podcasting at the age you are at currently? Well, I simply know most of these brilliant personalities I have the chance to interview. I know them from conferences. I know their books. I admire them. I am grateful for their work. That's why I said, come on, old fellow Eric, now get in contact with them, make interviews. That's interesting for the public. Absolutely. And people can find the podcast on YouTube if they search your Eric von Daniken channel or if they just search Chariots of the Gods Podcast. Can I also ask, I've just found out you're obviously writing another book just now. Is that something you're ready to tell us anything about yet or what the subject will be? About what? Your new book you're writing. Ah, well, this is a never-ending story. You know, every day we receive more or less 200 letters from the readers. Every day. That means in 10 days, 2,000 or in 100 days, 20,000. Now my new book, I present some of these letters. What these people worldwide write me, what they ask me, what information they come to me, I learn a lot from my reader. So that will be the theme of the newest book. But this book will only appear first in Germany in about eight months. So before it goes to the English market, there will be another one and a half year past. So I'll pick it up. Excellent. I look forward to that when it does come. It's been a pleasure speaking with you, Eric, and I look forward to speaking with you again in the future when you've got a little bit more time to come on to the podcast. So that was me speaking to Eric von Daniken. His career, like I said, folks, was not without controversy. Early legal issues, sustained academic criticism followed him throughout his life, yet he remained committed to his central aim. And I don't think it's unfair to say he wanted to question orthodox explanations and to encourage people to think beyond inherited assumptions. You can love his conclusions or reject them entirely, but Eric von Daniken left a lasting mark on ufology and popular culture. He did not provide consensus answers, but he undeniably changed the questions many people were willing to ask. For that, he'll be remembered and for myself, I thank Mr. von Daniken for all his contributions to the topic and ufology at large. So, Mr. von Daniken, you've got all the answers now. Rest in peace. That's all for this episode of That UFO Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and watching. If you enjoyed the show, please follow, subscribe, and leave a rating or review wherever you get your podcasts. It really helps others find the show. If you're watching on YouTube, hit like, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you don't miss future episodes. You can also support the show directly and get early access, add free episodes, and bonus content on Patreon, or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube memberships. All the links are over at thatufopodcast.com or in the show description below, along with merchandise and more. Don't forget, you can also pick up a copy of my book, Atlas of Unidentified Flying Objects, available now in all good bookstores and through online retailers, including Amazon. Big thank you again to all of you for listening and tuning in. Until next time, keep looking up. You never know what you might see. Cancer. You hope to never hear it. But if you do, you'll want a team of experts by your side. At Trinity Health of New England, we understand the stress that comes with a cancer diagnosis. Our team of compassionate oncology specialists provide the latest treatments to take care of the whole person. We know the importance of seeing the person behind the patient because we see all of you. Learn more at trinityhealthofne.org slash cancer. Running a business is hard enough, so why make it harder with a dozen different apps that don't talk to each other? One for sales, another for inventory, a separate one for accounting. Before you know it, you are drowning in software instead of growing your business. This is where Odoo comes in. Odoo is the only business software you'll ever need. It's an all-in-one, fully integrated platform that handles everything. CRM, accounting, inventory, e-commerce, HR, and more. No more app overload. No more juggling logins. Just one seamless system that makes work easier. And the best part? Odoo replaces multiple expensive platforms for a fraction of the cost. It's built to grow with your business, whether you are just starting out or already scaling up. Plus, it's easy to use, customizable, and designed to streamline every process so you can focus on what really matters, running your business. Thousands of businesses have made the switch, so why not you? Try Odoo for free at odoo.com. That's O-D-O-O dot com. This podcast is sponsored by Nurture Life. Hey, it's Danielle Fishel from Podmeats World, and as a mom to two growing boys, I know how chaotic mealtime can get. No matter how confident I am with what I'm serving them, my kids will always find a way to call the meal gross or stinky or yuck. It's true. They can be wildly picky about new foods, and with my busy schedule, I don't have the time to become America's next top chef. And so that's why I love Nurture Life. It's a meal delivery service that actually caters to kids, ideal for ages eight months to eight years, fully cooked and ready to serve in just one minute. It's the problem solver I've been praying for. It's the top meal delivery service for babies, toddlers, and kids, and everything is designed by registered dietitians so you can sleep safe knowing your kids are getting the protein, veggies, and nutrients they need while still eating favorites like mac and cheese, spaghetti and meatballs, and so much more. Plus, it's allergy friendly, which we know is clutch. And when it comes to options, Nurture Life has you covered. There's more than 50 nutritious meals and snacks on their menu, from soft finger foods for babies and toddlers to balanced kids' meals for when they get older. Nurture Life does the cooking, they deliver it straight to your door, and then you might even have time to eat something for yourself. So now is the time to head to nurturelife.com slash P-O-D and use code POD for 50% off your first order, plus free shipping. That's right, 50% off, plus free shipping. Once again, that's nurturelife.com slash POD and make sure you use promo code P-O-D. Even if you aren't a parent with young kids, you might have parent friends who struggle with mealtime, make sure to share our code P-O-D with them. Remember, put your little ones first with healthy meals from Nurture Life. That website, one more time, is nurturelife.com slash P-O-D pod. Do you suffer from back or neck pain? Trinity Health of New England has the latest methods and technology to help. Our team looks at many treatment options to create a plan that's right for you. From physical therapy and pain management to advanced spine surgery. Say goodbye to living with pain. Reach out to Trinity Health of New England today and get back to enjoying your daily activities. trinityhealthofne.org slash spine. Trinity Health, we see all of you. This podcast is sponsored by Nurture Life. Hey, it's Danielle Fishel from Pod Meets World and as a mom to two growing boys, I know how chaotic mealtime can get. No matter how confident I am with what I'm serving them, my kids will always find a way to call the meal gross or stinky or yuck. It's true, they can be wildly picky about new foods and with my busy schedule, I don't have the time to become America's next top chef. And so that's why I love Nurture Life. It's a meal delivery service that actually caters to kids, ideal for ages eight months to eight years, fully cooked and ready to serve in just one minute. It's the problem solver I've been praying for. It's the top meal delivery service for babies, toddlers, and kids and everything is designed by registered dieticians so you can sleep safe knowing your kids are getting the protein veggies and nutrients they need while still eating favorites like mac and cheese, spaghetti and meatballs and so much more. Plus, it's allergy friendly which we know is clutch. And when it comes to options, Nurture Life has you covered. There's more than 50 nutritious meals and snacks on their menu from soft finger foods for babies and toddlers to balanced kids meals for when they get older. Nurture Life does the cooking, they deliver it straight to your door and then you might even have time to eat something for yourself. So now is the time to head to NurtureLife.com slash P-O-D and use code POD for 50% off your first order plus free shipping. That's right, 50% off plus free shipping. Once again, that's NurtureLife.com slash POD and make sure you use promo code P-O-D. Even if you aren't a parent with young kids, you might have parent friends who struggle with mealtime. Make sure to share our code P-O-D with them. Remember, put your little ones first with healthy meals from Nurture Life. That website, one more time, is NurtureLife.com slash P-O-D POD P-O-D.