Case List from 2007-2008

Location: Piasau Camp Haunted House

Case Type: Paranormal

Research Status: Close

Location Background: Abandoned house in Piasau Camp which left empty for years after mysterious incident often happened to the family living in the house. House related to a suicide case which happened decades ago where a local maid hang herself in her room..


Location: Tanjung Lubang Hill Miri

Case Type: Paranormal/History

Research Status: Active (Stage 2)

Location Background: WW2 related site and active haunting


Location: Song Hill Miri

Case Type: Paranormal

Research Status: Active (Stage 1)

Location Background : Accident prone area


Location: Mysterious Tomb of Holy Saint, Tudan, Miri

Case Type : Paranormal/Legend

Research Status: Close

Location Background: Local legend of beheaded saint and curse of the tribe generation


Location: Frog Rock, Bintulu-Sibu TransBorneo Highway, Sarawak

Case Type: Supernatural/Belief

Research Status: Close

Location Background: Natural Rock formation resemble a frog and mysterious cases and paranormal incident


Location: Lutong Airstrip, Miri

Case Type: Paranormal / History

Research Status: Close

Location Background: WW2 related site and active haunting


Location: Abandoned mosque in the bushes, Kuala Baram Miri

Case Type: Paranormal

Research Status: Active (Stage 1)

Location Background: Active location of mysterious apparition of old man crossing the road near the location, apparition of dark fury being, Japanese troops marching, mysterious lady in white.


Location: Si Bongkok Rock (Hunchback Rock Formation), Federal Territory of Labuan

Case Type: Legends/Folklore

Research Status: Close

Location Background: Rock formation resemble a man sitting in yoga position and turn to stone after touch by wife during meditation


Location: Tanjung Datuk, Sematan Kuching, Sarawak

Case Type: Legend/Folklore

Research Status: Active(Stage 1)
Location Background: Formation of croc-shape rock and mysterious dark apparition of 16th century man roaming near the beach, Datu Depati Jepang cast away legend related, local belief of Sainthood


Location: Grand Old Lady Oil Well No 1, Canada Hill Miri

Case Type: Legend/History/Paranormal

Research Status: Close

Location Background: Legend of a ancient sacrifice hole, mysterious lady in white, tall man with a canine-head shape apparition, mysterious human shape mist and trolls


Location: WW2 Japanese reservoir, Canada Hill Miri

Case Type: History

Research Status: Active (Stage 1)

Location Background: WW2 history related site which still on tracing


Location: British WW2 Coastal defense bunker, Kuala Baram Miri

Case Type: History/Paranormal

Research Status: Close

Location Background: WW2 British Coastal defense against approaching Japanese Armada. 13 inch gun turret with coastal machine gun was already long time missing due to scrap metal collecting activity by local. Last remnants was seen in mid 60’s. Area now belong to Sribima Maritime Training Center. Area also marked with active haunting of WW2 soldier (suspect to be Japanese troops) moving around in the compound


Location: WW2 Japanese field operation office, Batu Niah, Miri

Case Type: History/Paranormal

Research Status: On Assessment

Location Background: WW2 Japanese field operation centre and still on assessment and status of research still pending


Location: Old Hospital ground, Miri

Case Type: Paranormal

Research Status: Active( Stage 1)

Location Background: Former government hospital site which now demolished to give way to marine park development. Area still active in haunting especially the cremation centre location. Assessment findings, area already ground zero but present of blank face nurse like entity still can be seen on certain time near the cremation spot


Location: Tomb of Datu Permaisuri

Case Type: History/Legend

Research Status: KIV

Location Background: Located in the area of Pujut Tanjung Batu. Related to Datu Depati Jepang legend in Kuching Sarawak

Lutong Airstrip Updates

Miri airstrip which situated in Lutong and known as Lutong Airport
during the early days

Another view of the abandoned airstrip and now it was use by the local motor club for yearly drag and sprint race events due to the smooth and suitable tarmacs for race

Last visit of PRSG was in early 2008 in order to conduct a night research in the area. The area was known as WW2 sites where craters from aircraft fighters still can be seen and even aircraft wrecks. However, some part of the airstrip is now being cultivated and became as watermelon plantation by locals.

The area also famous for it's haunting cases back in 70's till 90's where ghostly apparition of Lady in White strolling near Anderson Bridge and also soldiers marching in the middle of the airstrip. PRSG members once experienced of seeing apparition of WW2 Japanese aircraft landing on the airstrip in the middle of the night while conducting paranormal research in the area and when they try to get closed to the landed aircraft, suddenly the fighter aircraft vanished without a trace. The climax of the haunting was in early 90's where one of the auxiliary police who was on duty guarding the airstrip area were hysterically ran from his guard house after he saw full torso apparition of a lady suddenly appeared in front of his guard house door. In another account, some of the guard gave a radio call to their on duty officer to fetch them up due to continous disturbance of building shaken, sound of women crying in the middle of the night, apparition of WW2 Japanese soldier wondering nearby the guard house and sound of footsteps wearing military boots in the locked office building after office hours

Active haunting spot and research ground

During the period of research, PRSG team also conducting excavation project and managed to trace almost complete WW2 Japanese aircraft wrecks but due to iron scavenging activities in the area, the last aircraft was finally gone and only left scattered materials and items from the wrecks.



Article by

R Iskandar
Paracrypt Research and Study Group

WW2 Execution Field Updates

Bukit Tanjung was situated in the south west of Miri city. The sites was not known to public as one of active haunting ground. Only some old folks confirmed the area as one of the Japanese Occupation era for beheading and execution ground. During dawn of WW2, some of the POWs were brought to the area for execution and most of the prisoners were the locals supervisors and also the British and Dutch personnel who was being captured by the Japanese before they surrender to the Allied. According to local source, at first after the invasion, Japanese military offers locals and some of western foreigners who didn't manage to escape the attacks to work with the Japanese to operates and repaired the destroyed refinery and operation after being burnt to ground by British. High pay and better living were promised to the people and thus gave a response. But after few years working for the Japanese, all of the workers especially the skill and experienced personnel were captured back. The purposed of capturing the personnels was to ensure the British or the Allied facing difficulties to rebuild and operates back the oil field after the war ended due to lack of skilled and experienced personnel and workers.

Based on local folks account, after the personnels were beheaded, the headless body were kicked and pushed down from the cliff where the execution took place and the heads left lying on the ground and even some of it kicked as a ball by the soldiers. The PRSG try to traced the cements platform (6x 2 ft) which were claimed by the locals as the spot where the POW were executed but until this article were released in the official site, the exact blocks location is still unknown ( theory of the cement block already covered by earth).

In 1980's during Royal Majesty visits to Miri ( Malaysian YDPT Agong), one of the children who were at the area stunned and shock after seeing headless torso of WW2 POW passing in front of him not far from the place he was playing. He later told his mom but it was taken as a joke. Various incidents happened in the area especially during full moon and many claims to saw WW2 Japanese soldier apparitions and in some accounts, local claims to heard the groaning sound of a man.

(Notes; Due to dark area and quiet place, some of the area spot were used as lover port for dates and the claims reported by the visitors and most of them have the same cases- apparition of Japanese like WW2 soldiers wondering in front of their vehicles or spot and even apparition off headless being suddenly appeared from nowhere.)

Long week research which have been done by PRSG team finds that the area are active haunting ground and various EVP and disturbances:

a) Nightshot handycam suddenly off and the tripod suddenly seems to be moved from it's original spot,

b) Recordings suddenly became blur and out-focus without reason (cam were left alone for hours)

c) Dog-like apparitions suddenly appear and vanish into thin air in front of the researcher

d) Heavy goosebumps

e) Headless torso marching and vanished few metres away from the team

f) Thump on the team car's roof and after examined there's no one around in the area except the team

g) Unexplainable car security lock incident- before leaving the car to park, alarm were triggered to on and indication sound were heard. But when the team returned to the car, seems to be nothing happened but when the team leader try to off the alarm, suddenly the car lock and relocked automatically (seems like the entity tried to keep us staying in the area). Further check on the alarm system confirmed that there's nothing wrong with the remote or the alarm.

h) EVP captured sound of WW2 single engine Japanese fighter aircraft hovering and suddenly diving attack position. (Further investigation finds that there's a WW2 Japanese fighter aircraft wreckage not far from the Tun Dato Tuanku Hj Bujang College and the wreckage were found by local fisherman half sunken near the Tanjung Lubang Cliff in early 60's. Unfortunately now it's no more to be seen-either taken as a scrap by nearby village or rusted and washed away by the sea water)


Article by

R Iskandar
Paracrypt Research and Study Group

Apparition near Abandoned Surau

View from the road side

Thick bushes surrounding the building

Swampy land near the location

Another view of the building

Located in the middle of Kuala Baram Lutong Road and has been abandoned for nealy 20 years. Few sightings of apparition reported by highway user near the area in the form of dark figure, old man crossing the road in front of the place and suddenly vanished, mist and goosebumps

The building was about 100 metres from the road and surrounded by thick bushes and trees. Investigation during a day time was done for a stage 1 assessment by PRSG Team ( Goh TT and R Iskandar) and found out that in term of entering the area, the team needs to walk and hack the bushes and also crossing a swampy ground. Further visits and research will be done in a near time.


Hasnida
PRSG Information and Admin

Fenomena Histeria dan Kerasukan- Antara kebenaran dan khayalan

Kita sering mendengar pelbagai kes serta cerita mengenai fenomena histeria atau kerasukan makhluk halus. Tetapi pernahkah kita cuba mengetahui apakah yang sebenarnya dimaksudkan dengan 'histeria' dan 'kerasukan'? Mengikut pengertian, histeria bermaksud gangguan neurosis yang mempunyai pelbagai gejala dan tanda, yang mungkin berbentuk emosi atau fizikal akibat dari perasaan takut atau gembira yang melampau, sedangkan rasuk merujuk kepada perbuatan merasuk, mengapit atau memadankan dua objek atau sebagainya (contoh tanggam pada tiang atau struktur binaan), bertujuan untuk memberi keteguhan pada struktur sesuatu, tetapi mengikut pengertian bidang paranormal ia lebih merujuk kepada kemasukan sesuatu unsur halus seperti Jin atau roh/semangat kedalam tubuh mangsa. Sungguhpun demikian, umumnya kedua istilah sering tersilap tafsir dan dianggap sama maksudnya.


Histeria selalunya diakibatkan oleh tekanan perasaan atau fikiran yang terlampau serta dipengaruhi keadaan sekeliling. Kebiasaanya histeria seringkali berlaku pada remaja samada yang masih menuntut, menjalani sesuatu latihan atau program, ataupun akibat dari perasaan ketakutan pada sesuatu atau pengalaman yang kadangkala memberi tekanan baik pada emosi atau minda. Kes-kes yang sering didengar selalunya berlaku di sekolah, universiti atau kem. Apabila seseorang itu menghadapi tekanan emosi atau minda tetapi tidak meluah atau menceritakan masalahnya menjangkau pada had-had tertentu, ledakan berlaku secara mendadak di luar kawalan seperti apa yang sering kita lihat sebagai contoh meracau, menjerit, kekejangan, mencederakan diri dan sebagainya, malah ada yang berakhir dengan tindakan luar kawalan hingga menyebabkan kes bunuh diri atau sebaliknya.
Apabila berlakunya ledakan emosi luar kawalan, individu terbabit mungkin akan menyebabkan pihak sekeliling panik lalu terikut-ikut dan sindrom ini seolah-olah seperti suatu gelombang wabak (wave plague) yang menyerang setiap individu berdekatan. Persoalannya, adakah histeria boleh merebak atau menular? Jika dilihat dari pelbagai faktor, sebenarnya histeria beradius besar (massive) adalah akibat dari perasaan terkejut atau shock pihak kedua sehingga terbawa-bawa kedalam diri mereka. Sebagai contoh kes yang pernah berlaku di sekolah atau kampus walhal sebenarnya hanya seorang saja yang benar-benar mengalami tekanan atau kemurungan. Menurut Julia Borossa, seorang pensyarah serta penulis buku yang berkaitan dengan bidang psychoanalysis, histeria ialah

a descriptive category, has been applied in a variety of ways, across historical periods and cultural contexts. Puzzlingly, its referent has been simultaneously an illness with strange symptoms and certain disturbing forms of behaviour. Attempts to account for 'hysteria' have included pointing to a particular affliction which causes the womb to 'wander', to patients' propensity to lie and manipulate, to lesions of the nerves, to ecstatic states, to demonic possession, to forms of protest, to inexplicable epidemics. Artistic expression, seductiveness, wanting things in excess, behaving in a socially inappropriate way, partaking in crazes - all these have attracted the epithet 'hysterical'. Whether malady or maladjustment, the possibility of meaning many things in many ways runs through both usages of the term, which roughly correspond to the clinical and the common usages. Indeed, as we shall see, the two inform and shape one another. While the word 'hysteria' remains in current use, the formal diagnosis of hysteria, with its particular symptomatology, has largely ceased to be deployed in the course of the 20th century. However, the very symptoms that comprised hysteria have by no means disappeared, but are merely discussed and described elsewhere and otherwise.

As an illness, hysteria has had a long-standing association with the feminine. Although male sufferers were, at times, identified and discussed, it has primarily been seen as a women's disorder. A key aspect of hysteria's manifestation was that it involved the sufferer's body, in a way that was changeable, and could not be put down to any tangible cause. Some of the classic symptoms of hysteria included: a feeling of suffocation, coughing, dramatic fits, paralysis of the limbs, fainting spells, but also sudden inability to speak, loss of hearing, forgetting one's mother tongue, being proficient in languages that one did not know one knew, persistent vomiting and inability to take in food. In sum, it was a disease which appeared irrational, untrustworthy, and difficult to control.

The 19th century was the period of hysteria's heyday, and it was then that the metaphorical slippage between symptom and behaviour, the illness and its sufferers, came to the fore. Its direct effect was to unveil the location of hysteria within the realm of sexual politics. Within a predominantly patriarchal world-view, the hysteric came to embody femininity itself, as problem and enigma. This is the position from which Sigmund Freud approached her. The question, 'What does woman want?', which he famously posed in one of his late papers, can be seen as a continuation of his fruitful confrontation with the puzzling illness he first studied as a young doctor. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to state that Freud's encounter with hysteria and the hysterical patient lies at the very origin of psychoanalysis. Among psychosomatic conditions, only hysteria, with its unique expressiveness and ability to symbolise conflict and distress in a kind of alternate language, would fit the bill and prove to be, along with dreams, 'the royal road to the unconscious'.

Menurut Charcot pula, seorang pakar neurologi dari Perancis, beliau berkata:

"hysteria was caused by a functional disorder of the brain which caused symptoms, and which also rendered patients suceptible to hypnosis so that new symptoms can be produced by suggestion. Charcot, Later became more interested in the probablity of a psycological cause as a result of clinical studies by his pupil, Pierre Janet, who proposed that the disorder in hysteria has a tendency to dissociate, i.e. to loose the normal integration between various parts of mental functioning, together with a restriction of personal awareness so that the person became unaware of certain aspectes of psychological functioning that would otherwise be within his awareness.

It is a illness known from the time of Greeks, although down through ages it has changed its meaning and dimension. Originally it was thought to be a women's disease, as the word hysteria signifies 'uterus', the uterus moved from one part of the body to another because of sexual frustration.

The hysterical reaction in modem psychopathology is explained as serving defensive function by which the individual escapes or avoids stressful situations. As a neurotic disorder, the symptoms of hysteria can take the form of widest variety. Although at one point of time the diagnosis of hysteria was not that frequent perhaps because medical knowledge had not advanced so much, the same has considerably changed nowadays.

Hysteria can be clinically grouped under two types: conversion and dissociate - in conversion hysteria the afflicted person can present physical symptom of psychological origin. In the absence of organic cause, the symptoms and features are intriguing and enigmatic.

Feature of hysteria are:
1. There can be hysterical convulsion (fit). 2. Sensory disturbances-loss of sensitivity. 3. Hypoesthesis (partial loss of sensitivity). 4. Hyperesthesis (excessive loss of sensitivity). 5. Analgesia (loss of sensitivity to pain) 6. Paresthenia (exceptional sensation, such as tingling)

It includes blur of vision, photophobia, double vision, night blindness, and defective steropsis. The heart disturbances from total deafness to' selective one has also been found as conversion symptoms.

The visceral symptoms of this disorder are headache, lumps in the throat, choking sensation, coughing spells, bleaching nausea, sneezing, difficulty in breathing etc. Another enigmatic conversion syndrome. is pseudociasis (false pregnancy) in women who develop morning sickness, absence of period, fullness of breast, and bulging belly without being pregnant.

The dissociate hysteria, on other hand, is also a manifestation of underlying conflict. This is an escape behavior in which the individual gratifies his urges but denies the personal responsibility of his unacceptable behavior. There is a difference between hysterical amnesia and amnesia caused by brain pathology. In the later the registration and storage of infornation are impaired where as in the former the recall of registered infonnation is affected although the forgotten material is intact, beneath the conscious level.

Somnambulism is also another type of disorder where the individual walks in sleep but when he gets up the following morning does not remember the event. Fague called it "split personality". The two personality works independently in the same individual, one having no knowledge of the other. Multiple personality has similar features of dissociative hysteria. There may be one or more two personalities in an individual but their functions differ from one another, and no awareness of existence of the other"

Charcot ketika mengadakan demonstrasi mengenai histeria 1885

Bagaimana pula halnya tentang kes 'kerasukan'? Bagi paranormal dan dari segi pegangan agama, tidak kira apa pun, kerasukan merujuk kepada jisim halus yang memasuki tubuh lalu mengakibatkan perubahan 'host' atau perumah yang ketara seperti perubahan suara, meracau atau meronta, perubahan memek muka serta pertuturan dan sebagainya. Kerasukan sering berlaku pada gadis remaja ataupun dewasa dan ada diantara kes melibatkan lelaki. Pelbagai kaedah serta cara rawatan untuk memulihkan si mangsa atau pesakit dan ianya bergantung kepada pegangan kepercayaan agama masing-masing. Tetapi apa pula penjelasannya menurut sains? Menurut Melissa A. Bromwell, salah seorang pengkaji perubatan dan metafizik, beliau memberikan beberapa pandangan mengenai fenomena 'kerasukan' ini. Menurut beliau, kerasukan adalah:

"strange physical ailments or disfigurements; verbal outbursts, mostly obscene or sacrilegious in nature; violent behavior and vulgar behavior; bodily spasms and contortions; ability to speak languages never before studied; self-mutilation; "superhuman" abilities such as psychic abilities, abnormal strength, or an ability to perform behaviors out of the realm of human possibility such as levitation; cessation of normal bodily functions for periods of time, including breathing and heart beat; and a pronounced revulsion to symbols, places, people, objects, and ceremonies having any religious context. Other phenomena associated with the presence of a demon include an acrid stench; marked decrease in the temperature of the room which a possessed individual occupies; writing appearing out of nowhere; sounds and voices arising from nowhere; and objects moving on their own and destruction of objects in the room, without anyone having laid a hand upon them ((2), (3).

Despite the striking quality of this description, the expansion of the fields of medicine and psychology has led to diagnoses other than demonic possession for individuals who present circumstances similar to those mentioned above. These sorts of cases are now readily explained in terms of abnormal functioning in the brain and nervous system. There are various disorders which may mimic demonic possession; these include schizophrenia (and other periods of psychosis), dissociative identity disorder, and Tourette syndrome ((4).

Schizophrenia is characterized by the presence of delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, disorganized or catatonic behavior, affective flattening or inappropriate emotional responses, avolition, and alogia. General psychotic episodes, such as might accompany mood disorders, can also closely simulate a state of demonic possession by hallucinations or delusions. The delusions can be ones of thought insertion, thought broadcasting, delusions of guilt, delusions of grandeur, such as being God (or a demon), or delusions that God (or a demon) is speaking to the person and giving commands for a special mission (5).

The resemblance between several of these criteria and demonic possession is rather striking. The inappropriate emotional displays seen in psychoses correspond to those frequently documented in cases of demonic possession where the possessed individual expresses either flattened affect or outbursts of extreme affects; a possessed individual will often laugh at situations which are morbid, such as injury to another individual, or crying and screaming when there appears to be no appropriate stimulus for such a response, such as being presented with a crucifix or holy water (6).

Psychosis is generally thought of as a break with reality; society will frequently consider individuals who believe themselves to be possessed as delusional and not "in touch with reality." An individual who appears to be possessed and claims to be a demon may be viewed as suffering from a delusion of grandeur. Family members and friends caring for possessed individuals can become extremely disturbed by the state in which the individuals present themselves and often request an exorcism as a last resort. One might think of this as an example of Folie à Deux, in which one individual develops a delusion while in a close relationship with another person who already has an established delusion; the delusion is of the same content for each individual (5). It is possible that the possessed individual initially suffers from a delusion and eventually convinces loved ones that the possession is real.

The paranoid thinking present in many instances of psychosis is similar to that of an individual who is possessed and fears all items, people, and situations that contain religious themes. An individual who is possessed will react violently to the presentation of anything with a religious context, out of fear that harm will come to them; the reaction is elicited merely from being exposed to something such as a Bible or a priest. The disorganized thinking and speech that often occurs during periods of psychosis may also resemble the seemingly nonsensical speech a possessed individual may show (6).

Individuals who suffer from schizophrenia predominantly marked by catatonic behavior often arrange their bodies in bizarre or inappropriate postures for long periods of time; they frequently engage in stereotypic motor activity or have very prominent mannerisms and facial expressions. Conversely, these individuals might refrain from any movement whatsoever for prolonged periods of time, as if in a trance. This might be similar to the bodily contortions and exaggerated expressions of emotion noted in cases of demonic possession, as well as to the hypnotic-like state observed in possessed individuals (1).

The superhuman strength often exhibited by individuals who are possessed might be explained by the presence of a bipolar disorder; bipolar disorders are frequently accompanied by psychosis, particularly during the manic episodes. Manic individuals exhibit abundant amounts of energy and often have abnormal strength, similar to what can be seen in an individual who is possessed.

Schizophrenia, or any form of psychosis, is currently thought to be the result of a malfunctioning dopaminergic system, either a system which is too active or a system which is too sensitive. The dopamine system has been implicated in movement and coordination, emotional response, and the ability to experience pleasure and pain (7). It would then seem quite likely that many purported cases of demonic possession are merely instances of dopamine systems failing to work properly, given the aforementioned abnormal motor and affect behavior. It also seems quite plausible that individuals who believe themselves to be possessed are in a state of severe ahedonia.

Another disorder which has frequently been misdiagnosed as demonic possession is dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder. The criteria for this disorder is the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states, each with its own way of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and the self; at least two of these personalities or identities recurrently take control of the individual's behavior; and an inability to recall important personal information that is too extensive to be dismissed as ordinary forgetfulness (8). The separate identities involved in this disorder and the physical changes that denote dissociation could certainly reflect the abrupt change in personality manifested by those who appear to be victims of demonic possession (9).

A demon in someone who is possessed has its own purpose, own beliefs, morals, and attitudes, mannerisms, even its own style of speech, including a different voice. Each of these is distinct from those of the individual prior to possession and to an observer, it is clear that a change has occurred in the individual. In addition, an individual who suffers from demonic possession may not be able to recall the periods of time in which the demon manifests itself, resulting in blackouts and time loss (6). This is quite comparable to the manifestation of multiple personalities, each unique from the other, in an individual with dissociative identity disorder. The different personalities also have different motivations, ways of behaving, types of knowledge, and types of speech. The differing speech patterns between identities might partially explain the phenomenon of "speaking in tongues" often witnessed in victims of demonic possession. Time loss and blackouts are also extremely common to individuals with dissociative identity disorder; the unrecalled periods of time occur when another personality is in control (10).

Extreme suggestibility and hypnotizability are prevalent among individuals with dissociative identity disorder, which may be important if someone has suggested to an individual with the disorder that they are not mentally ill, but are in fact possessed by a demon. An individual with dissociative identity disorder who has had this suggested to them might come to believe they are inhabited by a demon (11).

Motor activities common to those with dissociative identity disorder include anesthesia, eye rolling (especially during switching to another personality), and pseudoseizures (11). These are behaviors that are commonly observed in individuals who are reported to be possessed by a demon; individuals who are possessed may be unable to feel pain in certain areas of their body and some of the distortions involved in possession include eyes rolling back and seizures (6).

The commonly accepted etiology of dissociative identity disorder is an early history of repeated trauma and abuse, often to horrific degrees (12). There is currently no biological theory concerning the origin of dissociative identity disorder; this creates both a direction for future investigations into the disorder and a possibility that demonic possession is an occurrence that cannot be explained in terms of the brain.

Another disorder that has probably been mistaken for demonic possession throughout time is Tourette syndrome, characterized by multiple motor and vocal tics (13). Motor tics can range in complexity from eye blinking to sticking out the tongue to rapid jerking of the body and writhing. The vocal tics can be sounds such as coughing, barking, growling or repeating words and phrases over and over again. Perhaps the most well-known symptom of Tourette syndrome is coprolalia, the screaming of obscene and foul language (14).

It is obvious how these behaviors can be misinterpreted as demonic possession; possessed individuals are often described as flailing and thrashing about and shouting obscenities, sexually aggressive phrases, violent threats, and sacrilegious statements.

There is also a high rate of comorbidity with obsessive-compulsive disorder in individuals who have Tourette syndrome (14). It seems likely that there would be a high frequency rate of obsessions with religion in individuals who claim to be possessed by a demon.

The origins of Tourette syndrome are thought to lie in either the dopaminergic system or the noradrenergic system. It is believed that the disorder results from either supersensitivity in the dopamine receptors or hyperactivity in the functioning of the norepinephrine system (14).

The concordance of the putative biological causes of schizophrenia and Tourette syndrome seem to imply some type of connection between the two disorders, and the phenomenon which they both imitate, i.e., demonic possession. It also lends credence to the belief that the brain is responsible for types of behavior which may initially seem remarkably beyond the realm of normal human behavior.

However, there is quite a bit about supposed demonic possession which cannot yet be explained by biology. This category includes such phenomenon as levitation, wounds appearing upon the victim that have not been inflicted by the self or another concrete source, knowledge of languages never before studied, sometimes never even heard, and psychic abilities such as knowing facts about other individuals that have never been met. In addition, the accompanying situations related to the area around possessed individuals do not seem to be explainable in terms of the brain or any aspect of biology; science cannot yet explain the distinct decrease in temperature of the room the individual occupies, the appearance of writing and sounds from an unseen force, and the movement of objects on their own (2).

One can come to two conclusions when faced with this evidence. The first is that the cause of such circumstances will eventually be determined by further study of the brains of reportedly possessed individuals. This might reveal that there is something biologically (and entirely secularly) unique about such individuals which allows them to be capable of creating such phenomena by themselves; in this case it could be determined that demonic possession is nothing but a myth perpetuated for centuries. On the other hand, the possibility that demonic possession is a real occurrence cannot yet be rejected; no thoroughly decisive evidence exists to the contrary. What is currently known about science cannot fully explain every situation reported to be a case of demonic possession, at least not by the methods which science currently employs. Until science can explain each detail, if indeed it ever can, one cannot dismiss the possibility that demonic possession is a real and true phenomenon".

Terdapat pelbagai lagi pendapat serta teori dan penjelasan mengenai histeria serta fenomena kerasukan. Tapi apa yang ingin cuba dijelakan disini ialah kesedaraan individu untuk menilai sesuatu perkara samada ianya benar atau khayalan serta sengaja dibuat-buat untuk mendapat perhatian orang lain (sympathy) kerana telah banyak kes-kes yang serupa apabila dijalankan diagnosis ternyata kebanyakan mangsa mempunyai sejarah tekanan perasaan serta mental dan ada pula fenomena kerasukan yang memang tidak dapat dijelaskan melalui sains. Jika ini berlaku maka campurtangan bidang agama adalah disyorkan.

Artikel oleh

R Iskandar
ParaCrypt RSG

Mysterious Batu Katak (Frog-shape rock) formation

Known as Batu Katak (Frog Rock) by local. Located halfway to Sibu Sarawak from Bintulu-Sibu Highway. According to local stories, this mysterious rock brings good luck to punters and during the highway construction, several attempts to destroy the rock failed even after being blast with numbers of dynamites by workers. In one accounts, claimed to be haunted and few peoples who tries to moved the rock end up dead. How far was the claim nobody knows but the rock formation still standing to this day and a roof was build by anonymous people especially punters especially Chinese to seek their lucky numbers.

Fadlee@Katana Blade
ParaCrypt Research and Study Group Member

-UPDATE-

A local visitor near the formation

Last September 2008, PRSG team lead by Fadlee went to the site to conduct investigation regarding the phenomenon. Based on their report submitted to the admin, the investigation shows that the rock was nearly fully written with lucky numbers visitors often came to the spot for wishing. According to interview and data collecting session, the formation already exist there almost 3 decades. And the clearing of the area for highway construction reveal the mysterious rock formation and later unexplained death cases and incidents occurred after several attempt to destroy the rock for highway constructions. PRSG Team also conducting night research near the area and encounter mysterious thick fog appeared near the area in certain time (PRSG didn't took this phenomenon as hard evidence of haunting due to location of thick forest at the side of the rock formation and temperature drop is normal in this kind of forest environment. But still it was taken as findings for reference in order to release future research articles based on scientific explaination) and apparition of dark figure and unexplained moving human shape fog crossing the road and vanished near the rock formation.

Hasnida
Information and Admin
Paracrypt Research and Study Group

Mysterious Holy Tomb Case

Research/Study Case Type 2 (Myth and Legends)


Location : Kpg Kubur Keramat 2, Jln Kpg Tudan Phase 2 Miri

Date : 19 January 2007

Methodology : Interviews, site visit and data collecting.

Walking Distance and accessibility : Motorbike and 25 minutes by foot. Located 10-15 meters from small creek/stream.

ParaCrypt RSG member on field- R Iskandar, Sa-ed Firdaus (Abg ED), Fadlee (Katana)

Legend's background

Based on the local stories, the mysterious tomb was belong to a man believed to be a Saint named ‘Syarif’ or ‘Sheikh’ who was traveling from Brunei during the reign of Bruneian Sultanate over Borneo hundreds of years ago. The saint was believed to travel by foot and small ‘sampan’- traditional small malay boat- to Miri in order to trade goods and spreading Islamic teaching. When he stops to perform his Asar prayer near the bank of River Baram, he was murdered by local head hunter’s tribe and his head was chopped off. The place where he was murdered later marked by local with a tomb-like monument in Kuala Baram as a remembrance of his tragic death. (In those early days, Ngayau or head hunting was a common practice among the tribes until it was banned and stopped during the ‘White Rajah’ the British rulers over Sarawak- James Brooke Johnson, Charles Brooke and Charles Vyner Brooke in late 1700’s). According to the story which was told generation to generation, after he was killed by the local tribe, his head was carried back to the longhouse and before they begin their journey, they roasted his head to avoid it from rotten since the walking distance might takes nearly one or two days. The group later continues their journey along with other human heads which their collected during ngayau until they reach a place near an old tree where finally they left the saint’s head behind after mysteriously became heavier than the other heads which they were carrying. According to legend, his hedless body floats and drifted along the Miri River from the place hi was killed and later into the Lutong River and small streams until finally reaches the place where his remain head were left by the tribes. And because of his piousness and devotion, his head and his body mysteriously entombed by itself in the place where the nowadays tomb was located.

View of the location

The small river

Broken bridge

The walking path

ParaCrypt RSG member (Abg ED) examine the tombstone

Unfortunately, no hard evidence of who marks the grave and placing the carved tombstone on the grave, since based on local legend it was happened few hundred years ago and the area was covered with thick forest and it was only cleared in late 1990's for settlement by local and later by government. Eventhough there's no hard evidence of the truth behind the legends, the tomb continously visited by local people sometimes from outside the city to pay their offering and a place to grant their wishes based on the candle marks and the yellow cloths which wrapping the tombstone.

Rectangular shape stone believed to be the stoned artifact

The local also claims that before the tomb known to outsiders, on the grave and near the tombstone lays the belonging of the saint which was turned to stone. The artifact was a Holy Quran, Quran wooden stand (Raihal), his prayer beads or ‘Tasbih’, his head cover- songkok- his prayer’s mat, and his wooden beetle nut’s box. This entire artifact mysteriously turned to stone and according to one of the source, they even confirmed it genuinity after carefully examine the items. Unfortunately, all the artifacts are now missing except his ‘songkok’ or some says his wooden beetle nut’s box which was still can be barely seen next to the tombstone.

The 'songkok' or 'beetlenut box'. The stone seems to be nicely carved/shaped and 4"x8"inch in size

There’s also believed to be unexplained incident happened near the tomb which was told to the ParaCrypt RSG investigator which is, long time ago whenever the local buried their families near the tomb area, the earth ground and their grave mark mysteriously covered with something similar to dog’s fur. And every grave was affected except the saint’s tomb. And also some witness reports that when there’s bush fire few years ago, the tomb never touched by the flame. (Perhaps the cause of this incidents, the tomb marking itself made from stone and tomb's earth was covered with pebbles which is suspected to be placed by visitors or locals from streams since the nearby river was located in a swampy area and hardly to find the same kind of pebbles used for the tomb covering) How far was the claims to be true are still questionable by researcher like us.

Upon arival at the site which took about 30 minutes walk from the nearest village located in Tudan, Miri Sarawak, research team straightly recording every data available and doing close observation and investigation on the grave sites and what the team's found was:

· Marks of candles left by visitor .

· A rectangle shape stone near the headstone and writings on the tombstone was in Arabic.

Arabic carved tombstone. Based on our research, carved creek/river stone as a burial marking was a common practice besides decorated wooden planks by local Mirian back in late 1800 to 1930's. The similar carved tombstone can be found at Sungai Baong Muslim Cemetary and some of the tombstone in the area dated back as early as 1900 and mostly belongs to Pakistani/Indian Muslim traders and Bruneian.

· Also several old grave which belongs to Kedayan ethnic with old grave marks. Latest gravemarks was 1977 and since then no other new gravemarks in the area.

Carved wooden grave mark dated back in 1977 or 1976

Unmark tombstone. (Please note the dark colored soil)

· The cemetery was abandoned many years ago due to a new and better burial area in Kpg Batu Satu ( about 4-6 km from Kpg Makam Keramat) and the early settlers of the area most of them already passed a long time ago and their heritage was unknown.

· Locals reports of seeing some Indonesian people often going to the tomb during night time especially on Friday- believed to be doing some ritual on the grave.

Based on our background research of the tomb, there's no hard evidence of who placed the carved headstone on the grave due to physical history of the area. ( Area was thick forest until early 1900 and late 1990’s) Since during the evens no evidence of witnesses only tall tales passed from generation to generation. Only weak verbal evidence of early settlers who found the grave during clearing. About the square grave marking which believed to be the 'songkok' or 'beetle nut box', further investigation on old culture was done by Katana and in his report, he mention about old fashioned land marking by using stone or similar to mark their ownership of the land. Since during that period, no advance measurements such as measuring tapes or etc, so the old fashioned way during the era was rocks or carved stone. Perhaps this square shaped which claimed to be the tombstone was allegedly an old abondaned land marking left by the owner either becouse of their death or other logical cause. During the field investigation, the team also try to trace any unsimilarity of the earth layer since there's a report of the earth turn to furry like ground. Perhaps this can be explained by science. Due to the location of the area is very near to the small creek, and perhaps the actual 'fur' was a type of dark color algae or moss since during our walk to the location, there's some area covered with moss and algae and some of it was dark colored type and looks like a dog fur in a first glance. Unfortunately, it's our mistake for not taking the photo of the dark colored moss. Perhaps this plant was mistakenly thought as 'fur' by people of that time. And according to the stories, the 'fur' covered the gravemark except the Saint's. Either it's true or not, perhaps some of this moss photo (which we find online and little bit similar to the moss which we saw and the only difference was the color) can be used as reference to show how and kind of surface which mostly algae or moss can be easily found.


A sample of dog-like-fur moss

Example of dark color algae and moss


End of Field Report.

Report done by Fadlee and Ezan

ParaCrypt Research and Study Group

To read the report of case in pdf format please click the link below

http://paracrypt-research-and-study-group.googlegroups.com/web/Makam+Keramat