Can objects hold supernatural power or be the focus of paranormal activity?
I know of many Missionaries who are sure that they do, from fetishes to totems of aboriginal people. There are objects of power that seem to bleed paranormal phenomena.
You don't have to tell that to Pastor Barry Porter of Australia, he knows first hand.
They thought it was a simple artifact of the local aboriginal people, but the stone his father in law found in the ground on an old trail was much more than a simple stone. Here is the story in Barry's own words:
I have known my wife since we were six years old – she lived across the road from me at Bowen Mt, 50 miles from the heart of Sydney NSW Australia, the foothills of the famous
While the area is now famous for the ghosts of convicts who were driven to early graves under whips, chains and hard labour in the early 1800’s and black panther sightings, it also has a strong Daruk Aboriginal history.
In the early 1980’s there were additional trails and tree clearing cut through the dense bush for new housing and to allow fire trucks and crews to prevent bush fires. My future Father-in-law loved to bushwalk (hike) through the massive expanse of forest and national park. One morning as he walked through a newly cleared area he noticed a strange object poking out from the ground. It was made of hard stone yet looked like it had been cut by modern technology.
Mike dug it out with his bare hands. By the time he pulled it out he realised he was holding something of human origin but like nothing he had ever seen. It was just over a foot long, shaped like a teardrop, with perfectly bevelled edges. There was a sense of guilt…he knew this was likely to be an Aboriginal artefact and either belonged in the location it’s owners placed it in or a museum. But he decided to take it to his home on
It wasn’t long before strange things started to happen.
The youngest daughter started seeing Ancient aboriginal people walking through the house at night time. She would get up to go to the bathroom and have to wait for them to pass. Then there were illnesses – heart attacks and strokes – that struck previously healthy Mike in his early 30’s.
A Yowie (Bigfoot) was sighted by the homes occupants and a young neighbour watching the house from across the road. At night, huge thumps and knocks on the outside of the house would send Mike running outside with his rifle……to fine no visible culprit.
One night when the kids were watching TV, and they were at home alone waiting for their mother to return from the late shift at the local Chinese Restaurant the worst occurrences happened.
The television set started changing channels by itself. As the kids watched in horror the phone rang. They answered. There was no-one there. As soon as it was put on the receiver it rang again. Still no caller was at the other end. Over and over again it happened.
Then to the daughters relief, a large light engulfed the side of the house….her mother must be home. She ran outside, up the dark stone steps at the back of the house in the pitch black, following the light to the hill above the house. To her horror when she got there it remained pitch black. The light which had floated around the house suddenly had vanished leaving her standing in the freezing cold, alone with a feeling of impending dread.
People who would sleep in the room with the stone would have nightmares about Yowies and Aboriginal Kaditcha Men (Witchdoctors).
It wasn’t until 2008, that the origin of the stone was revealed. A Researcher Identified it as a Churinga stone. In our terminology, a spiritual ‘memory stick’ for the Aboriginals that must never be removed from the ground in which it is placed.
An exorcism was done on the stone by a Pastor and it’s whereabouts are presently unknown – the eldest son in the family took it upon himself to put the stone in a safe place.
So be careful about what artifacts you bring home – there may be unseen others who will manifest their presence until it is returned.
So best to heed the words of Indian Jones, "It belongs in a Museum!"
Until Next Time,
Pastor Swope
Also on my Examiner page:
Did MonsterQuest get it right about the Flying Humanoid?
20 comments:
Robin, my wife corrected me on two statements in this story (which is really her story).
1. Her Dad, who had been very ill and recovering from a stroke)was home at the time of the poltergiest incident but asleep. Neither of the kids wanted to wake him as it was so freaky.
2. The people who walked up the hallway at night were a eclectic bunch from the past, including horses and carts, convicts, and in her words 'white old fashioned people'.
So those two facts need to be corrected and my apologies, I wrote it based on my recollections and now Kel has read it she wants that amended for the sake of integrity to the story.
Pastor Baz.
I'm not sure I can agree with the "it belongs in a museum" quote.
If this is an item associated with black magic, as at least seems to be implied by the events you described, it should be carefully destroyed with due precautions being taken by someone who really knows what he is doing. If, on the other hand, it is merely a cultural artifact, it should be treated with respect to the wishes of the culture that produced it -- perhaps by putting it in a museum, but more likely by either leaving it where it was or by returning it to the Aborigines.
It also may belong in the place where it was originally intended to be. :)
They had this artifact for twenty years and nobody at least thought to question its connection to the strange events? Hmmmm.
Nobody thought to end this ealrer than it did?
Great story anyway.
Thanks, Swope.
Can't blame the guy for wanting a little piece of history---but sometimes the "history" is best left alone. :)
howard you are way off base labeling the energy associated with this artifact as "black magic."this artifact is an energy focus from a different, non judeo-christian culture. such things are commonly labeled as "evil" by christians who need to demonize the power and energy of other cultures. saying it should be destroyed is arrogant. i assume you would call in a priest who would sprinkle it with holy water and wave a new testament around. it should be treated with respect and replaced in the original location.
Thanks for the Comment Anonymous,
However while criticizing Howard, you do the very same thing you criticize him for.
Traditional Christianity is in essence exclusionary because of the nature of Christ and Biblical Theology.
Many missionaries and pastors have had demonic experiences from totems, fetishes or objects from other religions. Of course there have been the same encounters with other objects that are not of a 'religious' or 'spiritual' nature.
Some think it is tied to the individual's personal path to power or use of others to attain their goals as to why any thing can attract dark power. Some say all it takes is the belief that you may be encountering it that can actually manifest it.
It is inthe nature of Christianity to label otherworldly things demonic (as in evil) be cause chritianity seeks to limit the experienes of it's followersto those thAT canbe controlled edited and presented thru it's own bureaucracy and that way to maintain control. So thanks pastor for supporting my main point. Christians label experienec that are out of their kenn evil because they can't understand or control them. And saying it should be destroyed IS arrogant and short sighted.
Thanks for the comment anonymous,
What you say is true about all religions including your own,(even if you say you have none)as shown by the tone and insinuation of your remarks.
If you think I am premature at labeling and judging others personal religious experiences and beliefs and am in anyway intolerant, you have not read many of the pages here, as others can attest.
I am intolerant inside and outside of Christianity at others who do judge and disparage others because of preconceived and narrow minded opinions that they try to force on others.
I have to say, the tone of your opinions about Christianity sounds very similar to the tone of opinions that I have found in many a Fundamentalist church about other faiths. The words might differ, but the tone is the same.
I have to agree with Pastor Swope's responses to anonymous. I think the anonymous commenter was a little out of line here because he/she just jumped to conclusions about the commenter "Howard", assuming he was Christian (he may be) and painted a picture of him being some stone faced Inquisitor from the middle ages. All you have to do is scroll up to Howard's comment and see that he merely said if it was a black magic object it should be destroyed. And if it is, indeed it probably should be destroyed. If it's not, then put it back or put it in a museum or just leave it on your shelf or whatever.
a artifact from a culture other than your own is not 'black magic'.
there is no need to destroy anything other than the racism and fear that exists in your own minds.
Anonymous:
First of all, as Jeff pointed out, I did not say that the rock described is definitely an artifact of black magic. The events described are, however, similar those reported in conjunction with artifacts of black magic -- assuming, of course, that the events were accurately perceived, recalled, and retold.
On the other hand, the events are also very similar to those described by Herbert Thurston in Ghosts and Poltergeists. Thurston speculated that these events were caused by spiritual beings that may not be either human ghosts or demons; they are certainly not angels, given some of the things that were said and done. Many people (including me) would disagree with that speculation, but it is worth pointing out that, given the date at which this book was written (Thurston died in 1939), and the fact that the author was a Jesuit, it would almost certainly have received a nihil obstat and an imprimi potest; my recollection is that it did. Regardless, it would be interesting to know if there were any adolescents around when these events took place, since for some reason adolescents seem to be the centers of poltergeist phenomena.
The "Churinga Stone" appears to be roughly the size and shape of a live artillery shell. IF it is an artifact of black magic, it is at least as dangerous as a live shell. My advice is the same as I would give to anyone finding a live shell: Don't touch it, and call in someone with experience in disposing of such objects. No one would think this a matter of disrespect for the culture that produced an artillery shell -- after all, although all cultures have some degree of violence, they all produce works of much greater value than artillery shells. In the same way, all nations have some practitioners of black magic, but this is not the highest achievement of any nation.
IF, on the other hand, the "Churinga Stone" IS NOT an artifact of black magic, then it still should have been left where it was and the proper authorities notified. I imagine Australia currently has strict laws about how cultural artifacts should be treated, and that representatives of the Aborigines would be consulted.
More in my next comment....
I just noticed that Pastor Baz's comment refers to "kids" being home when the poltergeist activity took place. How old were they?
Anonymous:
Your last comments seem to indicate that you believe it is impossible for "a [sic] artifact from a culture other than your own" to be an artifact of black magic. Modern materialists will of course believe that black magic is everywhere impossible, but every ancient culture has believed in black magic. Among the Aborigines, for example, " Cut hair and nail parings were always collected and burnt as they could be used in magic against the person from whom they came," a belief which can also be found in many other cultures.
Oops! I hit submit when I meant to hit preview. I'll be brief.
Anonymous, you show very little understanding of Christianity. Even in the Old Testament, there were holy men who were not Hebrew -- such as Job, Jethro, and Melchizedek. In the Gospels, there were huge cultural barriers between the Jews and the Greeks, Romans, Samaritans, and Sidonians -- and these barriers were brought down by Jesus. In the First Century one of the biggest questions facing the Church was "Is the Church only for Jews?" The answer was a resounding NO:
Therefore, remember that at one time you, Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by those called the circumcision, which is done in the flesh by human hands, were at that time without Christ, alienated from the community of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh.... So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God... Ephesians 2:11-14, 19, NAB. They sang a new hymn: "Worthy are you to receive the scroll and to break open its seals, for you were slain and with your blood you purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue, people and nation. Revelation 5:9, NAB.
It is painfully true that just as some in the First Century believed that to become a Christian, one must first become a Jew, there have been many since then who have believed that to become a Christian, one must first become a European. A better familiarity with Christianity would show how fundamentally perverse such a belief is.
Nice blog. I am also Player of Saree Point
It doesn't belong in the museum... It belongs where you find it. I live in an area where's lot of ancient groves and objects of old religion. Whenever I stumble in one, I pay my respect and leave it alone. It's not wise to disturb them.
"If this is an item associated with black magic, as at least seems to be implied by the events you described, it should be carefully destroyed with due precautions being taken by someone who really knows what he is doing."
I don't know if you are correct there. if it truly was memory stone, and by description so it seems, it isn't dangerous as it is. By digging it out those guys kinda unplugged it, and those old memories started to pour into the world.
I find it kinda sad that it was kinda "formatted". Why not just return it where it was found from? It was very important to the people who made it.
"Many missionaries and pastors have had demonic experiences from totems, fetishes or objects from other religions. Of course there have been the same encounters with other objects that are not of a 'religious' or 'spiritual' nature."
Perheaps they are just defending themselves? After all, usually christian priests would try to destroy them if they even got a hint of some kind of power in them. They may be attacking because of fear of being destroyed, not because they are evil.
I m totally agree with jeff and baz
The stone looks nothing like a churinga (tjuringa) stone.
Wrong area for a start as they are central Australian artifacts.
You will find it's a stone adze and would have had the same spiritual significance as my garden hoe in the back shed.
Don't get me wrong I am not casting doubts re the validity of your story but there is a big spiritual and cultural difference between a stone adze and a true tjuringa.
Enjoyed the story though..thank you
Thanks Russell,
But if you read the article and the comments you will notice that this is from an Australian minister. I suggest you read the article again and do more research on the person and background as well as the artifact before you make any kind of accusation.
Thank you for your comments pastor but in your haste to chastise me you failed to understand my comment.
I did read the story..twice... and enjoyed it.
I am familiar with aboriginal stone artifacts of many types and was raised amongst aboriginal people in inland Australia. I maintain strong connections with Australian aboriginal people to this day.
I fully understand the spiritual significance of both stone and wooden tjuringa and they are spiritual objects that should be treated with great reverence. To damage one or allow a woman or an uninitiated male to see a tjuringa would be punishable by death.
Pastor, The area this stone adze was found was on the East Coast of Australia and not the central or western area of our big brown land where Tjuringas were used.
Tjuringa are also etched with pictorial stories that are only to be shared with the initiated. this stone has non of these.
If you google "Stone Adze" you will find this item is a teardrop stone adze..they are very common in New Guinea by the way.
It is still a superb artifact but again I stress it is a working tool and not a spiritually significant artifact.
cheers Russ
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