The Intergraton

The Integratron is a device constructed on the instruction of George Van Tassel for scientific research on rejuvenation, anti-gravity and time travel. It is a tholos constructed out of wood, fiberglass, various non ferromagnetic metals, glass and concrete . He built the structure in Landers, California (near Joshua Tree) as a "rejuvenation machine" supposedly following instructions provided by visitors from the planet Venus. The structure was financed predominantly by donations, including funds from Howard Hughes.

Following Van Tassel's death in 1978, the building was owned by a series of individuals (and was left in various states of disrepair) before being purchased by sisters Joanne, Nancy, and Patty Karl in the early 2000s. The sisters now promote The Integratron as an "acoustically perfect structure" and say that it is currently being "explored in the areas of Science, Architecture, Neuroacoustics, Music, Energy healing, Alternative health and Spirituality." The building is currently open to the public at select times, with the sisters regularly performing "sound baths" (meditation-like sessions accompanied by tones from quartz bowls) at certain points during the week.

George van Tassel was a former aeronautic engineer and flight inspector who moved to California's Mojave Desert to operate an airport and inn. While there, he began meditating under Giant Rock, which the Native Americans of the area held to be sacred. In August 1953, Van Tassel claimed that he had been contacted both telepathically and later in person by people from space, who gave him a technique to rejuvenate human cell tissues. Van Tassel, acting on these instructions, began constructing the Integratron in 1954. Construction costs were paid for by an annual series of successful UFO conventions, the Giant Rock Spacecraft Conventions, which continued for nearly 25 years. Construction of the main structure of the Integratron was complete circa 1959, but Van Tassel continued to work on the device until his sudden death in 1978.

After van Tassel died, there was a proposal to turn the Integratron into a Disco, but these plans were never realized. New owners now operate the Integratron as a tourist attraction. They allow scientific studies of the structure and promote the unusual practice known as a "sound bath." During a sound bath, groups of people are exposed to harmonic sound frequencies produced by quartz bowls; this is said to have a deep calming effect. The Integratron website claims "it is the only all-wood, acoustically perfect sound chamber in the U.S."

The Integratron, despite being built without nails, survived a magnitude-7.3 earthquake in 1992.

The band Zwan filmed the video for their song "Honestly" inside the Integratron. The English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys recorded part of their song "Secret Door" at the Integratron in 2008.

The Integratron was featured on season 7, episode 13 of "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations". Huell Howser visits the Integratron in the "Giant Rock" episode #3011 of California's Gold.

The Integratron building was used as the set for an abandoned android manufacturing plant in the B grade cult Sci-Fi classic movie Cherry 2000 starring Melanie Griffith and David Andrews.

Read more about Integratron at its website or on Wikipedia.