10 Ancient Mysteries of Asia (Part 1)

by Joan Seth (joanseth77@gmail.com)

Our planet Earth has existed for about 4.5 billions of years, while humans have only existed for a few thousand years. But there are still a lot of things that we humans do not know about our past.

In this article, we take a look at some mysterious ancient structures and artifacts, whereupon we ask ourselves these questions: Where did ancient man obtain advanced knowledge? Where has this knowledge gone to? Did a deity or extraterrestrials give ancient man a helping hand?

1. Baalbek, Lebanon

Baalbek in Lebanon is one of the most mysterious places on earth. Ancient builders crafted the largest and heaviest stones on earth. There are blocks of about 10 metres long, 5 metres high and 3–4 metres deep. They weigh more than 450 tons each. At least 24 blocks have been discovered.

There are 3 even bigger blocks above these megaliths, weighing approximately 1000 tons each.

The mystery here is that even today, hardly any machinery exists to transport, lift and position such enormous blocks in such a restricted area. And of course, it is unimaginable that in ancient times people could have done this with manpower and ropes.



[The Mystery of Baalbek]

2. The Baghdad Battery, Iran

This object was unearthed at Khuyut in 1936. This mysterious object was estimated to date from a period between a few hundred years BC to some hundreds of years AD.

The Baghdad Battery is about 15 cm high with a lid of asphalt and an oxidised iron rod in the middle, surrounded by a 9 cm copper cylinder with a diameter of about 26 mm. When the vase is filled with an electrolyte, such as lemon juice or vinegar, it is able to deliver an electrical charge of approximately 1 volt.

It is however too small to provide any reasonable power. Dozens of these batteries would have to be connected. Furthermore, the similarity to the first batteries invented in 1867 is striking.



[The Baghdad Battery]

3. Borsippa, Iraq

In ancient times Borsippa or ‘Birs Numrud’ was the location of the Ezida temple, which was devoted to the god Marduk and in earlier times to the god Nabu.

The south westerly mound, the Birs proper, is probably the most conspicuous and striking ruin in all of Iraq. It is split down the centre and surrounded by huge masses of vitrified brick. Single enamelled bricks, most bearing an inscription of Nebuchadnezzar are also found around the site. They are twisted, curled and broken, as if damaged by great heat.

The mystery here is the intensity of the destruction since vitrified bricks can only be created by heat exceeding 1100 degrees Celsius in open air, which is impossible to achieve using standard means.

The only known vitrification in the open has resulted from nuclear explosions or impacts of comets. The latter can be ruled out in the case of Borsippa. The general belief is that lightning caused the vitrification, a theory which has proven to be impossible.



[The Mystery of Borsippa]

4. Candi Sukuh, Indonesia

The Candi Sukuh pyramid is located on the island of Java in Indonesia. It is the only pyramid on the Indonesian archipelago. Each stone in the pyramid has been tailor made. The pyramid would have been built in or around 1430 according to archaeologists.

The pyramid was mysteriously built using the same architectural techniques as per the pyramids in Mexico and Guatemala. Could these same techniques somehow managed to travel across the ocean thousands of kilometres apart and applied by people in different countries and cultures?



[Sukuh Temple is still A mystery]

5. Catal Hüyük, Turkey

Catal Hüyük existed from about 7250 BC till about 5600 BC. It is located in the central part of Turkey and was discovered by locals in 1958.

There are no streets; the houses were built one against the other. The only entrance was from above. In course of time, deteriorating houses were broken down and on top of the layer of rubble new houses were erected.

The larger rooms were plastered with white chalk and used for living; the smaller ones were stores. There were no buildings for governing or other public duties. It is a mystery why the entrances to the houses were only on the roof of the houses.



[The Religion of Catal Huyuk]

6. Chinese Pyramids, China

The existence of pyramids in China was discovered during the Second World War by an American pilot named Gaussmann.

In the area to the north of the city of Xian, there are about 25 pyramids. The biggest of these is near the famous ‘Terracotta Army’ and with a base of 350 x 370 metres is significantly larger than the Great Pyramid in Egypt. It is still smaller than the largest pyramid in the world, the Cholula pyramid in Mexico.



[China’s Great Pyramids Controversy]

7. Göbekli Tepe, Turkey

This is one of the oldest temples in the world. In the vicinity of the little town of Sanliurfa near the Syrian border, there is an archaeological excavation, Göbekli Tepe, which consists of a number of circular buildings which are made of limestone blocks that weigh several thousand kilograms each.

The structures date back to 9500 BC. Many of the stone circles have yet to be excavated, but the few that have been brought to light have diameters of up to 30 metres and the stones are decorated with reliefs of animals. There is no evidence of habitation and no consumer goods have been found which suggests that the site is an early temple.

The mystery in question is how it is possible that in a scarcely populated world, a world where mankind lived in a primitive manner, such a sophisticated building for which a high level of organisation would have been required could have been constructed.



[World’s First Known Religious Temple at Göbekli Tepe]

8. Jericho, Palestine

Jericho, located at Tell es-Sultan is believed to be the oldest city in the World. The earliest human habitation took place in about 9000 BC, though the first permanent settlers came in 8000-7000 BC. The site then consisted of a few walls and a tower, and measures about 40 hectares.

The development of cities is strongly related to the invention and development of agriculture which enabled the establishment of larger populations. However, mysteriously, the construction of Jericho predates the invention of agriculture. It is likewise a mystery why the city needed walls. Who could be an enemy in a rather empty world?



[Mystery of Ancient Jericho Monument Revealed]

9. Korean Dolmens, Korea

More than 40% of the world's dolmens are found in Korea. It is believed that they date back from the seventh century BC to around the third century BC.

There are two main types of dolmens. The table type, where a flat stone is supported by three or four standing stones. In the second type, the supportive stones are partially underground.

The great similarity to dolmens in Ireland, the United Kingdom and France suggests transatlantic contact during ancient times. Till date, their exact purpose still remains a mystery.



[History mystery: Dolmens stone formation]

10. Madain Salleh, Saudi Arabia

Madain Salleh is a city in Saudi Arabia. It is a sister city of Petra, built by the Nabateans more than 2000 years ago.

This mysterious city does not contain any houses, but it is actually made up of only temples and tombs which all have been hewn from the rocks. The site is about 13 km long.



[The Mystery of Madain Saleh]

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I have Been to Hell ( Burmese Monk who became Christain )

A Vision that Changed My Life Forever


After I was discharged from the hospital I went back to the monastery where other monks cared for me. I grew weaker and weaker and was lapsing into unconsciousness. I learned later that I actually died for three days. My body decayed and stunk of death, and my heart stopped beating. My body was prepared for cremation and was put through traditional Buddhist purification rites.


Although I faded away in my body I remember my mind and spirit were fully alert. I was in a very, very powerful storm. A tremendous wind flattened the whole landscape until there were no trees or anything else standing, just a flat plain. I walked very fast along this plain for some time. There were no other people anywhere, I was all alone. After some time I crossed a river. On the other side of the river I saw a terrible, terrible lake of fire. In Buddhism we do not have a concept of a place like this. At first I was confused and didn't know it was hell until I saw Yama, the king of hell [Yama is the name ascribed to the King of Hell in numerous cultures throughout Asia]. His face looked like the face of a lion, his body was like a lion, but his legs were like a naga [serpent spirit]. He had a number of horns on his head. His face was very fierce, and I was extremely afraid. Trembling, I asked him his name. He replied, "I am the king of hell, the Destroyer."


The terrible, terrible lake of fire


The king of hell told me to look into the lake of fire. I looked and I saw the saffron colored robes that Buddhist monks wear in Myanmar. I looked closer and saw the shaven head of a man. When I looked at the man's face I saw it was U Zadila Kyar Ni Kan Sayadaw [the famous monk who had died in a car accident in 1983]. I asked the king of hell why my former leader was confined to this lake of torment. I said, "Why is he in this lake of fire? He was a very good teacher. He even had a teaching tape called 'Are You a Man or a Dog?' which had helped thousands of people understand that their worth as humans is far greater than the animals." The king of hell replied, "Yes, he was a good teacher but he did not believe in Jesus Christ. That's why he is in hell."


I was told to look at another person who was in the fire. I saw a man with very long hair wrapped on the left hand side of his head. He was also wearing a robe. I asked the king of hell, "Who is this man?" He replied, "This is the one you worship: Gautama [Buddha]." I was very disturbed to see Gautama in hell. I protested, "Gautama had good ethnics and good moral character, why is he suffering in this lake of fire?" The king of hell answered me, "It doesn't matter how good he was. He is in this place because he did not believe in the Eternal God."


I then saw another man who looked like he was wearing a soldier's uniform. He had a large wound on his chest. I asked, "Who is this man?" The king of hell said, "This is Aung San, the revolutionary leader of Myanmar." I was told, "Aung San is here because he persecuted and killed Christians, but mostly because he didn't believe in Jesus Christ." In Myanmar the people have a common saying, "Soldiers never die, they live on." I was told that the legions of hell have a saying "Soldiers never die, but they go to hell forever."


I looked and saw another man in the lake of fire. He was a very tall man and he was dressed in military armor. He was also holding a sword and a shield. This man had a wound on his forehead. This man was taller than any person I have ever seen. He was six times the length between a man's elbow and the tips of his fingers when he stretches his arm out straight, plus one span of a man's fingers when he spreads out his hand. The king of hell said, "This man's name is Goliath. He is in hell because he blasphemed the Eternal God and His servant David." I was confused because I didn't know who either Goliath or David were. The king of hell said, "Goliath is recorded in the Christian Bible. You don't know him now, but when you become a Christian you will know who he is."


I was then taken to a place where I saw both rich and poor people preparing to eat their evening meals. I asked, "Who cooked the food for these people?" The king of hell replied, "The poor have to prepare their own food, but the rich people get others to cook for them." When the food had been prepared for the rich people they sat down to eat. As soon as they started a thick smoke came up. The rich people ate as fast as they could to ease their consciences. They were struggling to breath because of the smoke. They had to eat fast because they were fearful of losing their money. Their money is their god.


Another king of hell then came to me. I also saw a being whose job is to stoke the fires beneath the lake of fire, to keep it hot. This being asked me, "Are you going into the lake of fire too?" I replied, "No! I am only here to observe!" The appearance of this creature stoking the fire was very terrifying. He had ten horns on his head and a spear in his hand that had seven sharp blades coming from the end. The creature told me, "You are right. You came here just to observe. I cannot find your name here." He said, "You must now go back the way you came." He pointed me toward the desolate plain that I had first walked along before I came to the lake of fire.


The Road of Decision


I walked a long time, until I was bleeding. I was hot and in great pain. Finally, after walking for about three hours I came to a wide road. I walked along this road for some time until I came to a fork. One road, going off to the left, was wide. A smaller road went off to the right hand side. There was a signpost at the fork saying that the road to the left was for those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. The smaller road to the right was for believers in Jesus.


I was interested to see where the larger road led so I started down it. There were two men walking about 300 yards ahead of me. I tried to catch up with them so I could walk with them but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't catch them up, so I turned around and went back to the fork in the road. I continued to watch these two men as they walked down the road away from me. When they reached the end of the road they were suddenly stabbed. These two men cried out in great pain! I also cried out when I saw what happened to them! I realized the bigger road ended in great danger for those who traveled down it.


Looking into Heaven


I started walking down the believers' road instead. After traveling for about one hour the surface of the road turned to pure gold. It was so pure that when I looked down I could see my own reflection perfectly. I then saw a man standing in front of me. He was wearing a white robe. I also heard beautiful singing. Oh, it was so beautiful and pure! It was much better and more meaningful than the worship we have in churches here on the earth. The man in the white robe asked me to walk with him. I asked him, "What is your name?" but he did not answer. After I asked his name six times the man answered, "I am the one who holds the key to heaven. Heaven is a very, very beautiful place. You cannot go there now but if you follow Jesus Christ you can go there after your life has finished on the earth." The man's name was Peter.


Peter then asked me to sit down and he showed me a place to the north. Peter said, "Look to the north and see God create man." I saw the Eternal God from a distance. God spoke to an angel, "Let us make man." The angel pleaded with God and said, "Please don't make man. He will do wrong and will grieve you." [In Burmese literally: "He will make you lose face."]. But God created a man named anyway. God blew on the man and the man came to life. He gave him the name "Adam". [Note: Buddhists do not believe in the Creation of the world or of man, so this experience had a significant impact on the monk].


Sent Back with a New Name


Then Peter said, "Now get up and go back to where you came from. Speak to the people who worship Buddha and who worship idols. Tell them they must go to hell if they don't change. Those who build temples and idols will also have to go to hell. Those who give offerings to the monks to earn merit for themselves with go to hell. All those who pray to the monks and call them 'Pra' [respectful title for monks] will go to hell. Those who chant and 'give life' to idols will go to hell. All those who don't believe in Jesus Christ will go to hell." Peter told me to go back to the earth and testify about the things I had seen. He also said, "You must speak in your new name. From now on you are to be called Athet Pyan Shinthaw Paulu ["Paul who Came Back to Life."].


I didn't want to go back. I wanted to go to heaven. Angels opened a book. First they looked for my childhood name (Thitpin) in the book, but they could not find it. They then looked for the name I had been given when he entered the Buddhist monk hood (U Nata Pannita Ashinthuriya) but it wasn't written in the book either. Then Peter said, "Your name is not written here, you must return and testify about Jesus to the Buddhist people."


I walked back along the gold road. Again I heard beautiful singing, the kind of which I have never heard before or since. Peter walked with me until the time I returned to the earth. He showed me a ladder that reached down from the heaven to the sky. The ladder didn't reach to the earth, but stopped in mid-air. On the ladder I saw many angels, some going up to heaven and some going down the ladder. They were very busy. I asked Peter, "Who are they?" Peter answered, "They are messengers of God. They are reporting to heaven the names of all those who believe in Jesus Christ and the names of those who don't believe." Peter then told me it was time to go back.


It is a Ghost!


The next thing I was aware of was the sound of weeping. I heard my own mother cry out, "My son, why did you leave us now?" I also heard many other people weeping. I realized I was lying in a box. I started to move. My mother and father started shouting, "He is alive! He is alive!" Other people who were farther away did not believe my parents. I then placed my hands on the sides of the box and sat upright. Many people were struck with terror. They cried out, "It is a ghost!" and ran away as fast as their legs could carry them.


Those who remained were speechless and trembling. I noticed I was sitting in smelly liquid and body fluids, enough to fill about three and a half cups. This was liquid that had come out of my stomach and my insides while my body was lying in the coffin. This is why people knew I had indeed been dead. Inside the coffin there was a type of plastic sheet fixed to the wood. This sheet is placed there to retain a corpse's liquids, because many dead bodies release much fluid like mine did.


I learned later that I was just moments away from being cremated in the flames. In Myanmar people are placed in a coffin, the lid is then nailed shut, and the whole coffin is burned. When I came back to life my mother and father were being allowed to look at my body for the very last time. Moments later the lid of my coffin would have been nailed shut and I would have been cremated!


I immediately started to explain the things I had seen and heard. People were astonished. I told them about the men I had seen in the lake of fire, and told them that only the Christians know the truth, that our forefathers and us have been deceived for thousands of years! I told them everything we believe is a lie. The people were astonished because they knew what kind of a monk I had been and how zealous I had been for the teachings of Buddha.


In Myanmar when a person dies their name and age is written on the side of the coffin. When a monk dies, the monk's name, age and the number of years he has served as a monk are written on the side of the coffin. I had already been recorded as dead but as you can see, now I am alive!


Epilogue


Since 'Paul who came back to life' experienced the above story he has remained a faithful witness to the Lord Jesus Christ. Burmese pastors have told us that he had led hundreds of other monks to faith in Christ. His testimony is obviously very uncompromising. Because of that, his message has offended many people who cannot accept there is only one Way to Heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ. Despite great opposition, his experiences were so real to him that he has not wavered. After many years in the Buddhist monk hood, as a strict follower of Buddhist teachings, he immediately proclaimed the Gospel of Christ following his resurrection and exhorted other monks to forsake all false gods and follow Jesus Christ with all their hearts. Before the time of his sickness and death he had no exposure to Christianity at all. Everything he learned during those three days in the grave was new to his mind.


In a bid to get his message out to as many people as possible, this modern-day Lazarus began distributing audio and video cassette tapes with his story on them. The police and Buddhist authorities in Myanmar have done their utmost to gather these tapes up and destroy them. The testimony you have just read has been translated form one of those cassette tapes. We are told it is now quite dangerous for citizens of Myanmar to be in possession of these tapes.


His fearless testimony has landed him in prison at least once, where the authorities failed in their bid to silence him. Upon his release he continued to testify of the things he saw and heard. His current whereabouts are uncertain. One Burmese informant told us he is prison and may have been killed, while another informant was told he is now released from prison and is continuing his ministry.


[Click here to read full article]


Picture is (C) copyright to Athet Pyan Shinthaw Paulu

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Girls spot 'female ghost' -- in the heart of town on Orchard Road

Picture is (C) copyright to STOMP

STOMPer Jan sent in this video of what seemed to be a female 'ghost' that was spotted along Orchard Road early this morning.

Said the STOMPer:

"I was walking home with my girlfriends after a late supper and chat at Orchard Road at about 1am when we suddenly witness a lady in white across the road.

"She was next to a tree when we saw her. She disappeared then mysteriously appeared ahead a few metres and seemed to be crossing the road but when a passing taxi looks like it was going to hit her, she disappeared again!

"We were all so frightened that we couldn’t help but scream and run away. Does anyone know if there was a hit and run accident near the empty plot of land behind Takashimaya in the past during this date?

"I thought the Chinese ghost month was already over! It all happened so fast but our friend caught it on her iphone and we had to slow down the video to see the ghostly images.

"I am still shaking as I post this!"

While ghost sightings have always been a mystery, there is a possibility that this could be a publicity stunt.

[Click here to read full article]

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Singapore 'Exorcist' comes under fire

Picture is screenshot taken from RazorTV

FIRST, she stepped inside a ring of fire. Then, she was immersed in a container of water that had been boiled.

The woman was going through a ritual in a secluded area in Tampines to "exorcise a demon spirit" that had troubled her for seven years. Her "exorcist" was fengshui master and self-styled ghostbuster Chew Hon Chin.

Malaysia may have the Teapot Temple, which The New Paper reported in 2004. Visitors including professionals sought religious solace at the temple, which was later closed down by the authorities.

Here, we have Mr Chew and his associate, Mr Liang Chai Bao, who were featured by news agency AFP and RazorTV. Mr Chew's practices sparked unhappiness among some members of the Taoist community.

Irresponsible and dangerous, they said. They're just jealous, he replied.

Four mediums who spoke to The New Paper worry that accidents could occur if there are no proper safety measures. And they worry people will think it's a common practice in Taoism.

They insisted it is not.

Mr Teo Kok Wai, 58, who has been practising for 32 years, said: "Those who don't know better or who don't have the full story may associate this with Taoism. It could cast a negative light on what we do."

Another medium, Mr Li Jie, 50, said there were various methods of "exorcism", but declined to comment on what Mr Chew does.

Mr Li, a medium for 26 years, said: "We're not disputing whether his method is for real or not, but we're concerned about the woman's safety."

He said that the mediums and their assistants would be the ones "involved in such extreme methods, like the ring of fire and pot of hot water", and not the clients.

Agreeing, 60-year-old Madam Hu Laishuang, a medium of 45 years, said: "It would be difficult for the layman (client) to gauge the intensity of the fire and the heat.

Irritated

"What happens if the woman can't withstand it, baulks and tries to dodge the fire unsuccessfully? She could end up hurting herself."

Medium Lim Ah Zhun, 55, was irked that Mr Chew had advised his client not to visit temples after the rites.

"He should make it more specific, like if he meant those who were not really practitioners. My guess is he was referring to the cheats, but it sounded like he was saying everyone else is lousy and bad," said Mr Lim, who operates a home shrine.

But Mr Chew, 65, who runs an "exorcism" and fengshui business in Katong Shopping Centre, is unfazed by the criticism.

He told The New Paper: "I'm used to such comments. As they say, 'shu da zhao feng' ("a tall tree catches the wind" - a saying that means a person in a high position is liable to be attacked).

"People can say what they want. If I am good, I am good. Some of my clients approached me after they had gone for unsuccessful consultations."

He claimed some of them had gone as far as Malaysia and Thailand to seek help.

Mr Chew said: "They are desperate and at their wits' end. My responsibility is not to worry about what my rivals have to say, but to help my clients."

He said that the fear of fire hazard was unfounded because he has been practising for more than five years.

Mr Chew said: "Of course there are safety measures in place. I wouldn't risk anyone's life, not my clients' nor my team of workers'. Not even mine."

He said that men from his company would recce the spots where the rituals were to be held, like the one in Tampines.

"We'd ensure that the area is big enough and clear of trees and grass. At any one time, there are four to five people, if not more, who are prepared should something go wrong.

"And till today, nothing of that sort has happened."

As for the hot water, Mr Chew said: "Of course, the temperature must be just right, otherwise I'd have to pay her medical fees if she gets scalded."

He said that after the water is boiled, his helpers will add cold water to moderate the temperature. Mr Chew said that not all his cases - he claims to see three to four cases a day - needed an "exorcism".

Disturbed

It doesn't matter if his practices are quirky or for real. His clients trust him. Madam Liang, told RazorTV she had been disturbed by a dark and powerful force almost every night for the past seven years.

At 12.20am sharp, she claimed, she would be awakened by something brushing against her body. It gets worse every first and 15th day of the lunar month.

Mr Chew claimed: "She had bought an old flat and renovated it, but she did not conduct proper rituals to ask the ancestral spirits of the previous owners to leave."

He went on to criticise other mediums whom Madam Liang consulted while praising himself.

"Not everyone is truly a master. There are some fly-by-night ones, or those whose powers are not yet there," he said.

Mr Chew, who charges $88 for "luck enhancement" and $100 for each soul appeased, added: "Ghostbusting is not a job that anyone can do.

"Some people call it superstition or accuse me of being a cheat. Let's put it this way: If you come to me and think I'm bluffing, you have the liberty of walking away. There's no obligation."

Psychologist Richard Lim said that it's often desperation that drives people to seek such "help".

"It's a case of reaching out and grabbing on to the slightest sliver of hope. That's basic human survival instinct," he said.

He cautioned that being too obsessed with such alternative treatments may be detrimental to one's mental health.

Said Mr Lim: "It's like adding one more boulder of burden to what is already troubling you."

[Click here to read full article]

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Haunted offices in Singapore

Amidst all them there are others who wander caring less of whatever the season maybe. Over here we scoured high and low to share with you five freaky office incidents -- whether you believe it...or not.

1. Hitachi Tower

While working on a report that had to be submitted the very next day, two colleagues heard a knock coming from the direction of the window.

Clear skies indicated that it wasn't the rain and, at 8pm it was hard to imagine a pigeon crashing onto the window.

Assuming that it was nothing, they shrugged their shoulders and soldiered on with their work.

However, it was not too soon before the 'knocking' returned more furious than the first time.

The disturbing sound proved to be a little too spooky and the two decided that it was time to punch out and left.

It was the first and last time that such a disturbance was recorded.

2. Old School @ Mt Sophia

An office that had been vacant for eight years in Old School was to be leased by a company.

Before signing the contract, a member of the company suggested bringing a Fengshui master along on the recce trip to the boss.

The boss agreed; so, the employee, the boss, the Fengshui master and his daughter-in-law headed down to the office.

After the trip, a very solemn Fengshui master revealed to his audience that the spirits of a man, a woman, a child and an old man reside in the premises.

He suggested doing a prayer to ask for their blessing before commencing any renovation works.

Within the compound of the premises also stands an old tree that has a yellow ribbon tied around it; it is believed that many spirits reside around it.

Point to note: None of the employees in that particular office stay later than 6.20pm.

3. Shaw Centre - The Gateway

A particular floor on Shaw Centre is reported to be a gateway of sorts for lost souls, or perhaps a meeting place.

In a certain office, on a certain floor, an employee and the boss were gathered in the conference room for a meeting, when the employee spotted his colleague gesturing at them.

Assuming that it was an offer for a drink, he declined.

A few hours later the employee received a call from the colleague that had 'offered' her a drink with a spooky tale.

There had been a guest seated beside the duo in the conference throughout the meeting. The colleague had realised that their guest had no beverage served to the guest and assumed that the client would need one hence the gesticulation.

However, when the duo had left in a 'huff' to attend a meeting without the guest, the colleague realised that it was not a client!

Imagine her horror when the 'guest' turned around and smiled at her.

The 'guest' was soon spotted again standing beside the hand-dryer in the ladies' restroom by another colleague with the gift of the 'third eye'.

In the same office space there had been the sighting of a Caucasian man walking through walls!

4. HDB Office Block @ Jurong East Street 13

For five days, 'Lynn' kept spotting a man from the corner of her eye at her desk.

However, the strange visitor would vanish every time she turned and tried to make eye-contact.

The incident carried on for all five working days (Monday - Friday), the visitor was nothing more than just an irritation.

However, when she returned on Saturday to clear up some work, a colleague related to her a similar experience the night before, about a Chinese man who stood around before disappearing when someone made eye-contact.

When she asked if 'he' wore a white shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, they affirmed it and she told them that he had been around for a week now!

5. The Night Safari$

Not only are buildings haunted but so is Singapore's famous Night Safari.

Security guards have seen and heard clapping and cheering from the old amphitheatre that used to be behind the reception counter at about 1.30 in the morning.

Another infamous spirit lives in the tree beside the suspension bridge.

It is believed that many have seen a long-haired lady dressed in dressed white, however, those who are 'blessed/cursed' with the gift to see into the netherworld claim that she is dressed in black.

Point to note: No one has ever seen her face.

[Click here to read full article]
Some pictures and text in this article are granted permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; and as such are reproduced in this article.

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The first photographs of the cast taken in Sumatra

The expedition concentrated its searches around Lake Kerinci and the “gardens” area in the lower elevation rainforest, both areas of previous sightings and secondary evidence. Whereas the “gardens” team returned with three partial footprints, the possible hand print was found in the jungle surrounding Lake Kerinci.

The print is to be sent for independent analysis but furthers the body of evidence for Orang Pendek. Unidentifiable hairs also found in the immediate vicinity are to undergo similar independent testing.

Upon completion, expedition leader Adam Davies stated “This was a really successful expedition. I am fortunate to have had such a determined and dedicated team and feel confident that the findings, once analysed, will help further verify the existence of Orang Pendek, whose habitat is under great ecological pressure.”

[Click here to read full article]

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9 Vampire Myths Explained

Vampires have haunted literature, art and folklore since the dawn of mankind. Stories of vampirism can be traced as far back as biblical times, with Lilith the first rumored vampire. The term vampire did not become an everyday superstition, and fear, until the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe. Was the belief in vampires considered some type of mass hysteria, since numerous countries all had their own form of blood suckers, from the Russian Vurdalak to the Romanian Strigoi? Or are there other explanations for the myths?

1. Stake Through the Heart

Staking a vampire through the heart has been the most popularized method of extermination. Many different countries show references to driving a stake through the heart as well using specific woods to get the job done. Certain types of wood have tied symbolism to Christianity, such as Ash, Blackthorne, Maple, Hawthrone, Buckthorne and Aspen.

A stake was driven through the chest cavity to ensure deflation of a bloated corpse, so it would be deflated before its transformation into a revenant was complete. Groans were reported to escape the “vampire’s” mouth when the chest was either pushed on or staked. Gasses trapped in the stomach, intestines and esophagus escaped and pressed against the vocal chords when the pressure of staking was applied.

2. Bats

In Romanian folklore it was thought that a bat, insect or other flying creature that passed over a corpse, could turn it into a revenant (a corpse that returns from the grave). In fact, bats are much like vampires. They are nocturnal, some species drink blood, and they have an acute sense of hearing and smell. The discovery of blood drinking bats only exacerbated the vampire myth.

3. Fresh Corpses

When suspicion of vampirism fled though an area, it was not uncommon for the towns people to exhume the corpses of their loved ones to check for the tell tale signs of a vampire in the grave. Normally, a vampire’s corpse appeared fresh (not far into decomposition), the cheeks were reported to be full and rosy, the lips and mouth were red, from what appeared to be fresh blood, and the hair and fingernails of the corpse appeared as if they had continued growing. With a basic knowledge of decomposition these signs can be explained. The lack of fresh air and substantially lower temperature of the Earth below can, for lack of a better word, refrigerate a corpse therefore slowing down outer signs of decomposition.

In the case of bloated corpses, blood would be pushed to the surface of the skin, causing rosy cheeks, red lips and even blood in the mouth. When oxygen hits blood, it binds itself to the hemoglobin, causing the shape and appearance of blood to change. Because of the constant temperature and conditions of being underground, it would take longer for blood to dry up and no longer have a bright red appearance.

Hair and fingernails have the appearance of growth after death, but that’s just at first glance. When the body expires, the loss of moisture in the skin causes it to recede giving the fingernails and hair the appearance of growth.

4. Fangs

Those who were vampires were thought to have longer than usual eye teeth. Porphyria, also called the Vampire’s disease, is a recessive genetic disease that is characterized by too little hemoglobin being produced in the blood. This disease is said to have happened as a result of European nobility intermarrying.

Skin complications of Porphyria include, but are not limited to, photosensitivity, skin blisters, skin itching, skin swelling, hair growth abnormalities (which can explain myths of lycanthropy), skin pigment changes, deterioration of the lips and nose, and receding tissues of the gums and lips. The appearance of someone whose lips and gums have receded would be a gruesome and frightening sight, indeed, making the eye teeth stand out. In most European countries if a child was born with teeth it was considered to be a vampire.

5. Vampire’s Reflection

Another telltale sign of a vampire was a lack of reflection in mirrors. Mirrors have always held relevance in folklore when associated with death. It was common superstition in Bulgaria, that if a corpse’s reflection was shown in a mirror, or if mirrors were not covered in the presence of a corpse, then there was an increased likelihood another death would occur.

It was also customary for a corpse to be removed from a house through a window, and never through a front door, as to discourage the corpse of a loved one from returning to the home to claim another family member. It was also thought that those who suffered from Porphyria abandoned mirrors from their lives because they did not wish to see their ghastly and ghoulish appearance.

6. Photosensitivity

Porphyria appears to be the prior missing tie in the myth of vampires blistering and burning in the sunlight. The bodies of those with Porphyria lack the function of being able to effectively repair their skin cells from UV ray damage.

7. Aversion to Garlic

Garlic holds classic symbolism in vampire folklore. But why garlic? Again, Porphyria is the culprit to this age old myth. Garlic contains chemicals that exacerbates the symptoms of the disease, and causes those with it to avoid it at all costs. Imagine having severe allergies and walking into a field of dust, flowers, and weeds.

8. Drinking Blood

Why blood? If a vampire is already dead then what purpose would ingesting blood have on a corpse? Although that part of the myth is left up to the imagination, blood consumption is, none the less, the ultimate telltale sign of a vampire. Porphyria rears its ugly head again.

Because a symptom of the disease is a deficiency of hemoglobin in the blood, it was a common practice for those with the illness to drink large quantities of fresh blood in hopes that drinking it would provide the same effect as someone who takes a supplement to meet their daily requirement for a vitamin. Although the afflicted at the time most likely did not know the details of their disease but rather just assumed their illness was from “bad blood” so to speak.

9. Being invited into one's home

Many legends state that in order for a vampire to enter your home he/she must be invited by the human they've come into contact with. Once they have been invited in they are under no obligation to follow human etiquette such as leaving when asked.

The house ia a metaphor for our subconscious mind. When we invite a vampire into our house, we are symbolically invoking it into our personal subconscious, where it is then free to feed upon our spiritual vitality. This is why the vampire visits us during night, when we are asleep and dreaming, and most vulnerable to entities in the subconscious mind.

[Original Source]

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Steve Jobs dead at 56

Master Oregon: R.I.P. Steve Jobs from all of us at Asia Paranormal.

Apple's visionary co-founder finally succumbs after an eight-year battle with pancreatic cancer

Updated 10:30 AM Oct 06, 2011

SAN FRANCISCO - Steve Jobs, the visionary co-founder and former chief executive of Apple, has died at 56.

Apple said in a press release, sent out at about 7.40am Singapore time, that it was "deeply saddened" to announce that Mr Jobs had passed away yesterday.

"Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives," the company said. "The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.

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Hubby claims wife raped by 'invisible man'

The Star/Asia News Network
Wednesday, Sep 28, 2011

A man has claimed that his wife was raped by an "invisible man", Sin Chew Daily reported.

The youth, in his 20s, said his wife would remove her clothing, touch her own body and moan while sleeping at night, since a month ago.

He sought help from a medium, who then told him that someone had used black magic to take away the wife's "soul" and rape her.

The couple, from Bintulu, Sarawak, lodged a police report but the cops could not do anything to arrest the "invisible man".

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Dark Twin of Earth in Sky and Planet X Near Sun

Submitted by Gordon J. Gianninoto on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 11:47

Hi,

These are recent photos taken in the sky of the what the Hopi call the Blue Katchina, which is the Dark Twin of Earth. It is the same size of Earth, in the same orbit of Earth, and usually on the opposite side of the Sun, unseen. But, as Planet X, aka Nibiru, aka The Winged Globe, came into our solar system going clockwise as seen from above, it stopped Venus in its orbit, stopped the Earth, and then the Dark Twin caught up to Earth and then stopped.

The Dark Twin has no water, no atmosphere, no oceans, no life, but it is loaded with gold and the inhabitants of Planet X, the Annunaki, also known as the 'gods' of the Old Testament of the Bible, have been mining gold there since the last pole shift in 1650 BC. Everytime they came back to Earth, wouldn't you know it, something went wrong until they finally gave up. They are also mining gold on one of the moons of Mars, Phobos.

As you can see, one of the NASA SOHO satellites photographed it when it was near the sun. It does not reflect much light, but as it looms larger it will be more visible. It has been photographed from the U.S. before, but now it is looming larger and easier to spot. You have to photograph the sky just after sunset. Right now the Dark Twin is visible only in the night skies.



DARK TWIN OF EARTH TEXAS SEPT 7TH 2011 1101 PM

PLANET X MOON SWIRL CAPTURED AUGUST 2ND 2011 OVER ARMENIA

Planet X came at us in 1983 from the direction of Taurus, which is Orion. It entered the solar system in 1999 and came from the left behind the Sun around to come out on the right in 2003. Since 2003, NASA's SOHO satellite has photographed it many times, both the Stereo Ahead, and the Stereo Behind satellites have gotten images of it which you must be quick to download as NASA will not discuss the subject. It is laying on its side with its north pole facing the ecliptic and Earth like a flashlight. As it approached, it caused the Sun to erupt and now that it has passed the Sun and is only 30 million miles from the Earth, it is quieting the Sun in its supposed peak eruption period.

As gravity pushes, not pulls, Planet X is not going to hit the Dark Twin, Earth, or Venus. But it has pushed Venus further from the Sun, and amateur astronomers are noting how the disk is larger. Before pole shift, the cloudy planet, Venus will have a ring going almost around it that will look amazingly like the horns of a bull: the horns of Taurus the bull. Again this appearance is noted in prophecies around the world as the horns of Horus. Here we have new photos showing Venus larger than ever, but not as large as it will soon be. The horns have not become evident yet as the Sun illuminates this cloudy planet.

The Dark Twin, Earth and Venus are all trying to evade Planet X, but they are held in a cup of particle flows. When Planet X is first visible to all the world standing alone near the Sun, mark your calendars and it is 7.3 weeks until pole shift: 50 days, during which time as it appears as large as the full moon, or almost so, it will cause the crust of the Earth to separate from the core for one hour and then reattach. Planet X streams a five million mile long tail behind it of twin strands of moons, largest near Planet X, which make it appear, from the front to have wings. As it passes it will be seen from the side as a massive blood red, atmospheric, oceanic, inhabited planet with a serpentine tail rippling behind it. After Planet X passes, it will whip the Earth with the part of the tail that is loaded with trillions of rocks, lots of gravel, lots of iron ore dust, and lots of oily hydrocarbons; all of which will rain down on earth in various but not all spots. Then the oceans will sweep toward the new equator and wipe out all coastlines with a 600 foot tidal surge. That will drain, and then all the ice in the world will be in new locations, as over the next two years the oceans will come up 700 feet.

In the time leading up to pole shift, the earth will moan and shriek, and sing and hum, and huge thunderclaps will be heard in the skies and quakes of force 8 to 10 will sweep the entire globe as lands open up sinkholes, release methane gases, trigger all volcanoes to erupt, and give us very strange weather best characterized by a complete mixing of the seasons.

No one, not one, except the Hopi and Zetatalk, have ever mentioned the Dark Twin, yet here is photographic proof it is real, it is here, and poleshift is about to happen. Time is short. Are you where you want to be? Are you with whom you wish to be? Are you doing what you should be doing?

PLANET X NASA SOHO CAPTURE JULY 22ND 2010

This is a natural event and NOTHING will change it coming. This is the Tribulation of the last book of the Bible. This is your chance to see if people or possessions are more important to you. In the aftertime, unselfish human ETs will help unselfish survivors, and in about 100 years the earth will move to a higher frequency. Few who are alive now will live to see that. Out of every 10 people, 9 will perish. There is no amount of paying for a course on how to be 'ascended' that will change that. Praying, humming, meditating, will not change what is to happen, which occurs every 3657 years causing minor to major pole shift. This time will be the worst. If you only live 5 more minutes, make sure you were thinking of others before yourself.

Before the pole shift happens, and we are now in 7/10 where poleshift is 10/10, the economies of the world will fail and bartering will be the ONLY method of survival. In the poleshift, all governments, religions and banking systems will fail. They will never be replaced. Military bases will try to hang on for up to 10 years but the troops will leave, more interested in their own welfare than servicing the elite. The chaos will begin when Planet X becomes visible in the sky standing alone. People will not show up for work. Nuclear plants, water and sewage systems, will fail, as will transportation and manufacturing. In the quakes leading up to pole shift, all roads will become unusable as all bridges, pipelines and communications will come down with the grid. Modern communications will never be restored as the rain of rocks takes out all space satellites.

Be prepared to form survival communities and roll up your sleeves to work with your hands as your technology in your area will resemble anything from the year 1000 to the year 1800. Perhaps you should have been paying more attention to the Shakers and the Amish, who will hardly notice any difference or change!

If you don't know what to think of this, email it to a friend and ask them. You have my permission to post this as well.

Want to know more? Join http://poleshift.ning.com for free; read http://www.zetatalk.com, download the free program Equake 3D, and sign up for the free RSOE newsletter by sending an email to alertnet@rsoe.hu

Gordon

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Investigators claim ghost haunts East Coast Park

Picture is (C) copyright to Stomp

A group of paranormal investigators has claimed to have proven the existence of a female ghost haunting the Yellow Tower at East Coast Park.

According to citizen journalism website Stomp, the ghost left behind evidence of its existence and communicated with the investigators.

Footprints of the ghost were captured on powder left on the stairs of the tower.

The ghost also told the investigators that it was her footprints by communicating with them via an electromagnetic field meter.

According to a Stomp reader, it was the ghost of a girl who had died after being raped at the Yellow Tower.

She had went there with her boyfriend one night when a group of men beat up the boyfriend and raped her.

She allegedly died after the assault, while her ghost remained to haunt the tower.


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Near-Death Experiences Explained by Science

Charles Q. Choi, ScientificAmerican.com Date: 12 September 2011 Time: 04:14 PM ET

Near-death experiences are often thought of as mystical phenomena, but research is now revealing scientific explanations for virtually all of their common features. The details of what happens in near-death experiences are now known widely—a sense of being dead, a feeling that one's "soul" has left the body, a voyage toward a bright light, and a departure to another reality where love and bliss are all-encompassing.

Approximately 3 percent of the U.S. population says they have had a near-death experience, according to a Gallup poll. Near-death experiences are reported across cultures, with written records of them dating back to ancient Greece. Not all of these experiences actually coincide with brushes with death—one study of 58 patients who recounted near-death experiences found 30 were not actually in danger of dying, although most of them thought they were.

Recently, a host of studies has revealed potential underpinnings for all the elements of such experiences. "Many of the phenomena associated with near-death experiences can be biologically explained," says neuroscientist Dean Mobbs, at the University of Cambridge's Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit. Mobbs and Caroline Watt at the University of Edinburgh detailed this research online August 17 in Trends in Cognitive Sciences.

For instance, the feeling of being dead is not limited to near-death experiences—patients with Cotard or "walking corpse" syndrome hold the delusional belief that they are deceased. This disorder has occurred following trauma, such as during advanced stages of typhoid and multiple sclerosis, and has been linked with brain regions such as the parietal cortex and the prefrontal cortex—"the parietal cortex is typically involved in attentional processes, and the prefrontal cortex is involved in delusions observed in psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia," Mobbs explains. Although the mechanism behind the syndrome remains unknown, one possible explanation is that patients are trying to make sense of the strange experiences they are having.

Out-of-body experiences are also now known to be common during interrupted sleep patterns that immediately precede sleeping or waking. For instance, sleep paralysis, or the experience of feeling paralyzed while still aware of the outside world, is reported in up to 40 percent of all people and is linked with vivid dreamlike hallucinations that can result in the sensation of floating above one's body. A 2005 study found that out-of-body experiences can be artificially triggered by stimulating the right temporoparietal junction in the brain, suggesting that confusion regarding sensory information can radically alter how one experiences one's body.

A variety of explanations might also account for reports by those dying of meeting the deceased. Parkinson's disease patients, for example, have reported visions of ghosts, even monsters. The explanation? Parkinson's involves abnormal functioning of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that can evoke hallucinations. And when it comes to the common experience of reliving moments from one's life, one culprit might be the locus coeruleus, a midbrain region that releases noradrenaline, a stress hormone one would expect to be released in high levels during trauma. The locus coeruleus is highly connected with brain regions that mediate emotion and memory, such as the amygdala and hypothalamus.

In addition, research now shows that a number of medicinal and recreational drugs can mirror the euphoria often felt in near-death experiences, such as the anesthetic ketamine, which can also trigger out-of-body experiences and hallucinations. Ketamine affects the brain's opioid system, which can naturally become active even without drugs when animals are under attack, suggesting trauma might set off this aspect of near-death experiences, Mobbs explains.

Finally, one of the most famous aspects of near-death hallucinations is moving through a tunnel toward a bright light. Although the specific causes of this part of near-death experiences remain unclear, tunnel vision can occur when blood and oxygen flow is depleted to the eye, as can happen with the extreme fear and oxygen loss that are both common to dying.

Altogether, scientific evidence suggests that all features of the near-death experience have some basis in normal brain function gone awry. Moreover, the very knowledge of the lore regarding near-death episodes might play a crucial role in experiencing them—a self-fulfilling prophecy. Such findings "provide scientific evidence for something that has always been in the realm of paranormality," Mobbs says. "I personally believe that understanding the process of dying can help us come to terms with this inevitable part of life."

One potential obstacle to further research on near-death experiences will be analyzing them experimentally, says cognitive neuroscientist Olaf Blanke at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne in Switzerland, who has investigated out-of-body experiences. Still, "our work has shown that this can be done for out-of-body experiences, so why not for near-death-experience-associated sensations?"

This article was first published at ScientificAmerican.com. © 1905 ScientificAmerican.com. All rights reserved.

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