Dr. Dana Moulton Schonbrunn

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“We are not the first civilization to walk this planet. But we might be the first arrogant enough to believe we are.”

~ Dr. Dana Moulton Schonbrunn

Dr. Dana Schonbrunn, PhD

Dana Moulton Schonbrunn (November 4, 1958) is an archaeologist specializing in prehistoric art, Egyptology, history, parapsychology, ufology, and cryptozoology. She was born in Harrisville, Michigan, where she spent her childhood and teenage years. Schonbrunn is renowned for her theses on paranormal sciences and interdimensional studies, as well as for her joint work with Margaret Holloman as co-directors of the Institute for Paranormal Studies and Interdimensional Science at West Virginia University. A frequent keynote speaker, she regularly appears at international conferences on alternative archaeology, ufology, and paranormal studies. Her books, articles, and documentary appearances have made her both an admired and controversial figure, especially within mainstream academic circles.

Early Life and Education

The youngest of three siblings, she was raised in a traditional American household where terms like "dimensional" or "extraterrestrial" were never spoken. Her early love for knowledge led her to break boundaries. By the age of 17, she had read every book in her local library and became fascinated by Chariots of the Gods, which introduced her to the field of astroarchaeology and inspired her to pursue Egyptology in order to uncover the secrets of ancient civilizations. Schonbrunn entered academia at Michigan State University, earning her bachelor's, master's, and PhD degrees in History with a specialization in Egyptology. Her academic journey brought her into contact with leading figures of the fringe scientific community, including Loren Coleman, Bernard Heuvelmans, J.B. Rhine, Russell Targ, and Harold Puthoff. Her research soon transcended the boundaries of traditional humanities, embracing controversial fields such as parapsychology, ufology, interdimensional theory, paleoastronautics, and cryptozoology. Eventually, Schonbrunn moved to West Virginia to study the Appalachian Mountains, where she also earned a degree in archaeology from West Virginia University, specializing in prehistoric art.

Fieldwork and Research

Throughout her career, Dr. Dana Moulton Schonbrunn has conducted numerous field studies that bridge traditional archaeology with investigations into anomalous phenomena, pushing the boundaries of conventional knowledge. Her most iconic work was conducted in Egypt, where she sought material and symbolic evidence of potential interactions between ancient civilizations and non-human intelligences.

Project Stellar Saqqara (1988–1991)

For three years, Schonbrunn led an independent expedition to the Saqqara funerary complex in Egypt, investigating alleged astronomical alignments and geomagnetic anomalies associated with the Pyramid of Djoser and its underground structures. Her research proposed that certain chambers—traditionally interpreted as ceremonial storage—might have functioned as reception centers or communication hubs with extraplanetary intelligences. The thesis resulting from this work, titled "Architecture of Contact: Paleocosmic Hypotheses in Ancient Egyptian Structures," argues that the modular design of the step pyramid reflects not only spiritual principles but also a possible engineering code transmitted by non-terrestrial cultures, linked to patterns of telluric energy.

Zep Tepi Expedition: In Search of the Age of the Gods (1996)

In 1996, Schonbrunn led a field study focused on the Sphinx and the Giza Plateau, exploring the hypothesis that water erosion on the Sphinx indicates a construction date far older than the Pharaonic civilization. The expedition combined traditional archaeological methods with spectroscopy, ground-penetrating radar, and electromagnetic field measurements, seeking to identify hidden structures beneath the plateau. The published report argues that the Sphinx may be a remnant of the so-called Zep Tepi—a hypothesized era of advanced civilizations or exogenous presence on Earth. Her work suggests that the layout of the Giza monuments corresponds not only to the Orion Belt, as others have proposed, but also to key points of a planetary energy grid, possibly used for propulsion, communication, or environmental stabilization.

OOPArts Analysis

During her expeditions in Egypt, Dana also cataloged numerous objects considered Out-Of-Place Artifacts (OOPArts), including metallic fragments embedded in allegedly prehistoric rock strata and ceremonial objects with microscopic patterns indicative of unknown manufacturing techniques for their time. These artifacts became the focus of her 2002 paper “Technoglyphs: Evidence of Non-Human Engineering in Predynastic Egypt,” in which she speculates on the possibility of technological exchange between ancient humans and non-human intelligences.

Collaborative Work

"Cryptic Amazon" Expedition (2005)

In collaboration with renowned American cryptozoologist Loren Coleman, Dr. Schonbrunn led an expedition into the depths of the Peruvian and Brazilian Amazon, aiming to document reports of creatures deemed mythical or extinct. The expedition focused on local accounts of the Mapinguari—a creature described as a large, bipedal, shaggy mammal with a pungent odor and anomalous abilities, including bullet resistance. Using reconnaissance drones, camera traps, and environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis from soil and water samples, the team gathered data suggesting the presence of an unknown giant xenarthran lineage, possibly a descendant of Pleistocene ground sloths. The published report, titled “Cryptofauna of the Rainforest: An Interdisciplinary Analysis of the Biological and Paranormal Thresholds of the Amazon,” addresses not only the zoological findings but also recurring phenomena such as wandering lights, unexplained disappearances, and persistent electromagnetic disturbances in the region.

Duke University Parapsychology Laboratory (1987–1991)

During her postdoctoral years, Dana Schonbrunn joined the team at the Duke University Parapsychology Laboratory, founded by J.B. Rhine, a pioneer in experimental parapsychology. Although the original lab closed in 1965, Dana worked with the Rhine Research Center, its spiritual successor, collaborating on experiments seeking empirical evidence of phenomena such as extrasensory perception (ESP), telepathy, clairvoyance, and psychokinesis. Dana was instrumental in developing cross-disciplinary protocols combining archaeological and statistical methods to analyze paranormal phenomena. Her pioneering research, “Residual Memory in Archaeological Sites: A Study of Psychic Impressions in Ancient Locations,” examined whether historic sites—particularly Egyptian and Mesoamerican ruins—could present forms of energetic imprints or psychic resonance detectable by trained mediums under laboratory control. She worked closely with physicists Russell Targ and Harold Puthoff, central figures in the CIA's secret Stargate Project, which focused on psychic espionage and remote viewing. Though not directly involved in military operations, Dana consulted on the application of remote viewing protocols in archaeological contexts, particularly for inaccessible locations like sealed caves and buried structures.

Co-Administration of the Institute for Paranormal Studies and Interdimensional Science – West Virginia University

Since 2005, Dana Moulton Schonbrunn has co-directed the Institute for Paranormal Studies and Interdimensional Science (IPSIS) at West Virginia University alongside her longtime collaborator and close friend, anthropologist and cryptozoologist Margaret Holloman, an expert in indigenous cultures and anomalous phenomena in the Appalachian Mountains. The institute functions as an interdisciplinary center dedicated to researching phenomena considered fringe by mainstream science, including cryptozoology, parapsychology, ufology, interdimensional physics, comparative folklore, and anomalous ethnoarchaeology. Dana oversees the departments of anomalous archaeology, paleoastronautics, and the physics of ancient civilizations, while Margaret leads the sectors of ethnography, folklore studies, and applied cryptozoology, with a particular focus on Native American accounts from the Appalachians and other North American regions. IPSIS is known for its innovative and controversial studies, including investigations of paranormal hotspots in Appalachian forests, research on patterns of unexplained disappearances, and studies on ley lines, dimensional portals, and transdimensional entities associated with ancient power sites.

Controversies

Temporary Ban from SRI

In 1993, Dana Moulton Schonbrunn found herself at the center of an academic scandal after being temporarily banned from accessing the physical archives of the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) in California. The incident occurred during a visit as an independent consultant when she attempted to access classified documents related to the Stargate Project—a CIA-funded psychic espionage program during the Cold War. Witnesses reported that Dana was caught attempting to make unauthorized copies of reports on remote viewing experiments applied to archaeology, which, according to her, contained evidence of non-human technology linked to ancient Egyptian and Mesoamerican civilizations. In her defense, Schonbrunn argued that “the scientific community is deliberately concealing the missing link between megalithic engineering, non-local consciousness, and stellar civilizations.” The episode gained media attention after being indirectly referenced in a Fate Magazine article, which described “an American unconventional archaeology researcher facing academic censorship after accessing ultra-classified data on psychic applications in archaeological exploration.” Although she later resumed her relationship with part of the awakened scientific community, the episode definitively marked her reputation among traditional academic circles, who began to regard her as a highly controversial figure and, at the same time, a cult icon within alternative science.

Disagreements with Dr. Zahi Hawass

In 2001, Dana Moulton Schonbrunn was involved in one of the most notorious episodes of her career when she engaged in a heated public debate with the famous Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass, then Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt. The conflict took place during a BBC broadcast roundtable on the mysteries of the Great Pyramid of Giza. While Hawass defended the orthodox academic view on the construction of the pyramids, Schonbrunn vehemently suggested that the astronomical alignments, the anomalous magnetism of the inner chambers, and the mathematical precision of the structure indicated technological intervention of non-human origin or, at the very least, an advanced knowledge of quantum physics lost to modern humanity. Zahi lost his composure on international television, calling Dana a “dangerous fraud” and “a disgrace to archaeology,” to which she responded: “You may expel me from Giza, Dr. Hawass, but you cannot expel the questions. And they are far older than you.” The clash went viral in the early days of the internet, leading to the creation of an online forum called “Dana Was Right,” where enthusiasts of alternative archaeology still discuss her theories today. Since then, Schonbrunn has been persona non grata at several excavations controlled by the Egyptian government, although she publicly states that “the greatest secrets are not at the tourist sites but in the archives they refuse to open.” The episode left a permanent mark on her career, reinforcing both her reputation as a bold researcher and the stigma of a conspiracy theorist among more conservative sectors of academia. Schonbrunn, however, embraced her status as an academic outsider, becoming a prominent voice in the debate over the limits of conventional science and the need to expand investigative paradigms.

Published Works

Throughout her career, Dr. Dana built a solid and interdisciplinary body of work, characterized by methodological rigor and a constant pursuit of understanding the intersections between science, technology, archaeology, and unconventional phenomena. Her books, widely referenced in the academic community, reflect a trajectory of innovative research committed to frontier knowledge production.

Contact Architecture, (1981): A seminal work in which Dr. Dana investigates evidence of technological and architectural exchange between ancient civilizations and possible non-human intelligences. Through comparative analyses, archaeometry, and computational models, the book proposes a critical revision of traditional interpretations about megalithic monuments and anomalous structures.

Technoglyphs, (1999): In this work, the author examines inscriptions, marks, and artifacts of controversial nature found at archaeological sites around the world. The book combines digital archaeology, semiotic analysis, and material studies to discuss the hypothesis that certain material records have a technogenic origin not attributable to known cultures.

Residual Memory, (2003): An in-depth study on the persistence of information, patterns, and knowledge transmitted by unconventional means, such as morphic resonance, informational fields, and non-local memories. Dr. Dana articulates foundations from quantum physics, neuroscience, and archaeology to propose a transdisciplinary approach to collective memory and archaeological unconscious.

Epigenetic Memories of the Anunnaki Genome (2007): A controversial and innovative work in which the author investigates possible epigenetic evidence of genetic interventions occurring in ancestral periods. Through the integration of genomics, molecular anthropology, and paleogenetic studies, the book explores the hypothesis of biotechnological legacies from advanced civilizations in the development of Homo sapiens.

Phenomena: The Mysteries of Parapsychology (2011): In this book, Dr. Dana critically examines major parapsychological phenomena in light of contemporary scientific methodologies. The work proposes theoretical models for understanding events such as telepathy, psychokinesis, and near-death experiences, emphasizing experimental replicability and dialogue between science and consciousness.

Astronautical Studies of Paleolithic Art (2015): A pioneering work that proposes a reinterpretation of rock art based on astronautical and astrobiological models. The author analyzes recurring patterns in Paleolithic sites, suggesting correlations with astronomical events, celestial cartographies, and possible narratives of ancestral contact.

Legacy and Influence

Over more than four decades of research, Dr. Dana Schonbrunn has established herself as one of the leading figures in anomalous archaeology and frontier science. Her work has inspired a new generation of scholars, explorers, and enthusiasts who question established narratives about the origins of humanity, the capabilities of consciousness, and the role of non-human civilizations in Earth's history. Her books, such as Contact Architecture, Technoglyphs, and Residual Memory, are adopted in alternative studies courses and serve as the basis for documentaries aired on channels like History Channel, Gaia, and Discovery Science. Although often criticized for her speculative approach, Dana argues that “every scientific truth today was, at some point, a heresy of the past.” She currently divides her time between field research, conferences, and administrative activities at IEPCI, as well as maintaining a monthly column in Fortean Times, where she discusses topics such as multidimensional physics, forbidden archaeology, and the persistent mysteries of the natural world.