The mystical culture and history of Atlantis is recounted by the author, who claimed to receive these insights from a mystical spirit known as Phylos the Tibetan during the 1880s.

Various descriptions of Atlantean society are given; we are told that they were technologically advanced, with sophisticated cultural mores and religious rites. Wireless communication, climate control, and the use of water to generate electrical power for - among other things - a high-speed rail network are described. Devices which resemble the television, and others which are voice-activated, are likewise discussed.

In relating his personal history, which involved travel upon planets Earth and Venus, Phylos highlights some important parallels between his ancient society and the 19^th century North American culture in whom his host, the author, resided. Phylos considers his spirit form to be a final incarnation; his memories of the destruction of Atlantis leads to a foreboding element - such an event may repeat itself in the modern society, as its achievements in science and technology reach fantastical new heights.

For its unusual detail and astonishing contents, A Dweller on Two Planets has long been influential in New Age and occultist belief movements.