FORGET THE GHOST TECH DEVICES & PAY ATTENTION TO THE INDIGENOUS OF NORTH AMERICA
("Those Who Walk On All Fours/Four Legged" care not about these "toys")
I don't know about you, but I am bored stiff with the same old TV shows about the paranormal, the numerous 'teams' out there running around with their ghost detection instruments, shouting in amazement when those very same instruments register environmental changes they were designed to detect (not ghosts), and for which is immediately relegated to be of paranormal sources? I am also amazed at what I see on Twitter where people ask the popular, paranormal TV celebrities when they are going to go back to or initially visit certain, alleged haunted locations. What actually might be paranormal is not even being addressed. Instead, we see the perpetuated, stagnant folklore that is prevalent today.
Largely ignored and not considered "paranormal" are the subtle, every day, negative afflictions of the body and mind. Do you get into frequent arguments? Why are you always angry? These are not detected by technology devices but rather the original, real contactees, the indigenous Oracles, Sensitives and Shamans who interact with entities alleged to be the root cause of such ignored afflictions. With observed and documented techniques, these issues are dealt with and resolved by indigenous medicine people such as my Cajun Medicine Man friend. Their remedies combat home invasion by alleged entities inc. shadow people, constant nightmares, miscellaneous misfortunes and harassment from intangibles such strange noises, objects moved, doors slammed, to name a few.
With the increase of technology devices that claim to assist in revealing the presence of the afterlife, when it comes to spirit contact, one important facet continues to be left out of such research... "geography WITH cultural involvement." Sure, people might dress up in period costume or do reenactments and ceremonies, trying to mimic the activities of the time when these ghosts were still corporeal like us, however it is not the same as being actively immersed in the spirit's former life culture itself.
The "unseen" was part of the culture of Indigenous peoples long before the 19th Century. They didn't pursue the answers to the afterlife as a hobby or curiosity. It was already ingrained as a part of their lives. This alone makes them closer to the paranormal and/or supernatural and the "thinning of the veil" separating our world from the next, although their belief is that the two worlds are not separate at all. The advantage they possess with the most important differences from most of us is they live a life connected and related to all things of the earth, and all people on the earth.... "Mitakuye Oyasin." This means all living things on this planet have a dependence on each other. Not enough of us have slowed ourselves down, to take a walk in a park or forest, observing the behaviors of insect & bird life around us, listening to their sounds, sitting quietly by an old tree, smelling a flower, the grass, etc. You then become "part" of an unspoken communication, without solicitation.
In our arrogance and presumptuous attitudes, organizations have been created to explain just about everything that seems unnatural. These include MUFON, BFRO, TAPS, et.al. Scientists and Pseudoscientists alike continue to do their research into the paranormal while ignoring the stories of the original experiencers, who are closer to the truth than anything purportedly achieved in our present time. If you are to believe in the possibility of contact with the paranormal and supernatural, one must not ignore the Indigenous peoples and their methodologies. Also, it is counter-productive to achieving results to ignore their guidance of direction to understanding the rewards and dangers of such pursuits.
A prime example of lack of respect for cultural knowledge when involved in paranormal investigation is the famous ranch in Utah whose name starts with an "S," formerly known as Sherman Ranch. Using the more popular name for "those who walk on all fours" (for the rest of this article I will use the acronym TWWOAF), is a perfect example of the lack of respect for the cultural origins involving it. I recently noticed the show "Blind Frog Ranch" also hinted of a TWWOAF presence, no doubt, to entice watchers to the show.
The Diné (Navaho people) themselves fear TWWOAF so much that they are very hesitant to speak with outsiders about these creatures, and absolutely refuse to speak about it at night. On my visit to Monument Valley, my Diné guide enlightened me personally about that. Just to speak the "S" word is believed to invite attention by TWWOAF. One might suppose that this is a variation of the phrase “Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear.” The Diné fear any consequences or attacks from TWWOAF in retaliation for allowing outsiders to meddle in their affairs. I know this by personal experience from interactions with various indigenous concerning this topic. According to Diné legend, TWWOAF have the power to read human thoughts, allowing it to use the victim’s own fears and secrets against them. It will attack vehicles in hopes of causing a serious or even fatal accident. I also believe to have luckily avoided tragedy after being involved in a discussion of TWWOAF with my wife. In a very secluded, plains area of the state of Utah in the U.S., we barely avoided a serious auto accident, colliding with what appeared to have been a flying animal, that upon striking our vehicle windshield at a high speed, head on, vanished without trace.
[Moonjoey: I'm not talking about some specter whose presence cannot be proven. Specifically, this is about a living, human being... intense details follow - discretion is advised]
In regards as to how TWWOAF actually chooses to attack its victims, the methods of legend are both numerous and terrible. It may choose to bite and claw the victim to death in its animal form, but TWWOAF are usually far more subtle. At times, they will try to break into a home in order to frighten, harm, or kill the inhabitants. Some Diné homes have a roof with a hole at the top to provide ventilation. TWWOAF takes advantage of this by making use of a deadly dust, known as corpse powder, made from dried and powdered human remains. The corpse powder may be sprinkled through these holes, causing grave sickness and eventual death to those dwelling within. If this powder is blown into a victim’s face, it causes the tongue to turn black and to begin swelling, followed by convulsions, paralysis, and the eventual death of the victim. It is said that the corpses of children, especially twins, are the best source for this powder.
Another method for creating their black medicine is if a woman had been killed and her newly buried body was dug up and covered and stored secretly in a specific hogan. One after another the people practicing witchery had intercourse with the corpse, put a little pot underneath her collecting fluids from the men and used it in their medicine. The body when dried up was ground up and also placed in the medicine. They would use this to poison people's foods. Sometimes they will sever a finger or another small body part of the deceased and hide it inside the home of the intended victim. It is believed a ghost of the deceased will rise from the grave in search of its missing body part and will then haunt whoever possesses it. The home’s owners will be both confused and terrified as to why this is happening to them.
Those practicing this dark medicine have a wide variety of weapons at their disposal. Some use bows carved from human shinbones to attack their victims, while the arrows are made of hardwood and tipped with flint (the arrowheads themselves may be cursed). They also make traditional sand paintings using colored ash, upon which TWWOAF will spit, urinate, and defecate, profaning and desecrating the religious nature of these paintings, which are usually of their intended victims. Another of the most potent of weapons is a tiny bone pellet, which is fired from a blowgun into a victim’s body. These pellets imbed themselves into the skin without leaving so much as a mark, and afterwards causes sickness, social misfortune, and eventual death. TWWOAF use live rattlesnakes, releasing them into the victim’s dwelling or his bed, causing him to grow sick and die from the rattlesnake’s bite.
Can anyone prove they’ve seen TWWOAF? Yes, from a personal, trusted friend's testimony. I'll not go into details however suffice it to say, the person was feared among the community. His misdeeds were discovered and proved. Justice was served (translation: that person is no longer with us).
For those to whom the legends belong, adapting cultural history as entertainment is an insulting move. The Native Appropriations website comments, “we as Indigenous peoples are constantly situated as fantasy creatures… But we’re not magical creatures, we’re contemporary peoples who are still here, and still practice our spiritual traditions”. The site is concerned about “the constant commodification of our spiritual practices”.
SUMMARY:
Adapting Native cultural history to an entertainment medium is both an insulting and negative representation of a contemporary, indigenous culture... a misrepresentation of its spirituality and associated ceremonies as well. Searching for TWWOAF introduces an exaggerated, embellished storyline with an aim only to glamourize white man's zeal for TV notoriety, viewership and profit. Go ahead and be in awe of your Rem Pods, EMF detectors and the like, buzzing and flashing. As for me, there is so much more to fear and respect that occurs in real life and not observed on a typical ghost TV show, documentary or podcast, knowledge that if known and understood, contact would never be attempted.
If he were alive today, a white man like anthropologist Clyde Kluckhohn, who spent over 37 years with the Diné, would probably "roll over in his grave" at the mentioned disrespect being shown. Then again, there would probably be someone wanting to be there to film it for their TV show.
- MoonJoey