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WILLIAM SHATNER:
Deadly forests.
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Haunted houses.
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Mountains where visitors
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never return alive.
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Are there such things
as evil places?
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Places that are really born bad?
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There are those who believe
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that not only is such
an incredible notion possible,
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but that there are literally
thousands of these places
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all around us.
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But how could
a seemingly harmless destination
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like an amusement park
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really be thought of as cursed?
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Well...
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that is what we'll try
and find out.
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SHATNER:
In central Japan,
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60 miles southwest of Tokyo,
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lies the Aokigahara forest.
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Located at the base
of Mount Fuji,
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it is considered by the Japanese
to be sacred.
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Although, in recent years,
many believe
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that these woods have become
not a holy place,
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but a place of evil.
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Each year,
shockingly high numbers
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of people come here
to end their own lives.
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So many, in fact,
that the place has become known
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as the Suicide Forest.
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If you ever walk through
any other woods or forests,
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you always hear the birds,
and you hear rustling,
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and you hear
all sorts of things,
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but not in Suicide Forest.
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In Suicide Forest,
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it's just completely
and absolutely silent.
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I didn't see a living thing
other than those plants,
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and I certainly didn't
hear anything.
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So, it's the silence
that really hits you at first.
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It definitely had
a different feel to it,
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and that kind of raises
the anxiety.
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A lot of locals will tell you
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that as they grew up
near the forest,
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they were told
never to go there.
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It's a dark, scary place.
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It's not a place for you.
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Stay away from it.
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DOMINIC STEAVU: Aokigahara
literally translates
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as "the field of green trees."
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This forest is also known
as the Jukai,
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"the sea of trees."
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Many people go
and commit suicide,
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typically by hanging, or also
by prescription drug overdose.
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Officials have stopped
publicizing the numbers
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so as to not encourage
more people to go there,
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but it really has become
a magnet for suicides.
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SHATNER:
At the entrance to the park,
signs are posted
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advising those who enter the
forest with suicidal thoughts
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to stop and turn back.
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It is a warning
meant to prevent people
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from being swallowed up
by the darkness of this place,
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a darkness
from which there is no return.
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These signs tell people,
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please don't commit suicide.
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Think of your parents.
Think of your family.
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They give you information
on who to call
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if you need some help.
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It's very clear that this
is a concern of theirs.
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They know it's a problem,
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and they ask you,
"Please don't do this."
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And you'll see
those signs everywhere,
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which remind you
of how prevalent the problem is.
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STEAVU:
Aokigahara is also
a non-camping forest.
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So camping
is strictly forbidden,
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yet people
who contemplate suicide
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sometimes bring their tents.
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We do have lots of these traces
of the departed
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that remain in the forest,
from personal effects
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to thread marking the paths.
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ONO:
Part of the mystique
of Suicide Forest is
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quite often people
who want to commit suicide
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will bring these ribbons
because they haven't figured out
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whether they really want
to do it or not.
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So they'll tie the ribbon,
and if they change their mind,
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they could find their way out.
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But if they don't change
their mind,
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at the end of that ribbon,
you may find a body.
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SHATNER:
The Suicide Forest
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has one of the highest
suicide rates
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of anywhere in the world.
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But unlike other such places,
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like the Golden Gate Bridge
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or Niagara Falls,
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where people jump
to their deaths,
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here they come to experience
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a different
and arguably more disturbing
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method of release.
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In Japanese belief,
any person who dies
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has to receive a proper,
um, ritual treatment
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in order to transition
to the world of the dead.
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If they don't receive
these very specific--
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generally Buddhist-- rites,
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there's a belief that the soul
of the deceased person
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will linger in the physical
plane of existence.
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If someone commits suicide
in the spot, it's believed
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that the yurei,the ghost,
will be hanging around that spot
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where they committedcide--
they're tied to it there.
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So it becomes
a potential danger spot
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if other people
are just walking through it.
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They can get lured by the yurei,
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who's gonna
influence them somehow
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to commit suicide themselves.
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Aokigahara becoming
a suicide spot
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is a relatively
recent phenomenon
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that started in the 1960s.
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It can be traced back to a novel
called The Tower of Waves,
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in which two of
the main protagonists
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could not live out their love,
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and then decided
to commit suicide
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This is one of the reasons
towhy the forest became.
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a very famous suicide spot.
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DAVID WHITEHEAD:
It's rather strange
that they say
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around a hundred bodies a year
are found in that place.
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And it begs the question,
is there something
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about the place itself
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that attracts people to go there
to commit suicide?
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GEORGE NOORY:
It probably started off
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as just a dense forest,
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but as more and more people
killed themselves in this place,
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I think the evil permeates
all over the place,
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and it's probably affecting
people who go in there.
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SHATNER:
Evil...
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permeating the atmosphere?
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Could such an extraordinary
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and frightening notion be true?
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I think everybody has gone
to a certain spot
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and they feel uncomfortable
with it.
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They just don't know
exactly why,
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but they just don't feel right.
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They feel like,
"Something's wrong here."
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"This doesn't feel good to me."
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"It's kind of evil."
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There are certain regions
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that have had bad things
happen to it.
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And you can feel it.
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We have to realize
that the human body
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is one of the most ultimate
pieces of scientific equipment.
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You have so many different types
of sensors on your body.
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You can see, smell,
hear, taste, feel.
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And all that information
that you're receiving
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from your environment causes you
to feel the way you do
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at any given second.
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So, if your body
is not feeling right
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and your brain is telling you
something's not right here,
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it is possible that
it's an evil location, right?
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SHATNER:
In recent years,
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scientists studying
the morbid phenomenon
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of Japan's so-called
Suicide Forest have suggested
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that the answer
to the mystery might be
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not a paranormal one,
but geological.
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One of the really interesting
things about Suicide Forest
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is it didn't exist, uh, until
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the last massive eruption
of Mount Fuji,
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which was more than
a thousand years ago,
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and that's what laid out
this enormous bed of lava
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that eventually hardened.
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There are chambers
within the ground.
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And in these chambers
is where people will go into
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and commit suicide.
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Some of them will
just take pills and lie down,
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and eventually,
you'll find a body
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inside one of these chambers.
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There's a possibility
that the volcanic region--
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the rocks, the basalt--
might have some sort
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of piezoelectric-type material
within them
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that could generate electric
and magnetic fields.
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And it's also known
that electromagnetic fields
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do impact the brain activity.
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I would think,
from the evidence,
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that this geomagnetic field
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is having some impact
on mass depression.
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The connection
between magnetic anomalies
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and chemical reactions
in the brain could lead
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to a type of depression
that would enhance suicide.
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You can imagine a person
who is suicidal
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or thinking about suicide,
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but is fundamentally
uncomfortable with the idea,
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moving into one of these areas.
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And this interaction makes them
just comfortable enough
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that now they will carry through
on the suicide.
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SHATNER:
Could hundreds
of ritual suicides
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really be the result of
magnetic anomalies in the brain
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caused by the unique properties
of volcanic rock?
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Or, as many Japanese
themselves believe,
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could the cause be something
even more incredible?
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There's an old saying that says
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what we do in life
echoes in eternity.
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And if we have a forest
where hundreds of people
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have gone to that forest
to commit suicide
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for over 60 years,
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could the dark energy
of all of the departed souls
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be lurking there?
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Could that energy
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be what is attracting people
to come to the forest?
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SHATNER:
Tragic souls of the departed
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luring others in...
to join them.
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A far-fetched notion, perhaps.
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But no more bizarre
than what has been happening
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at the Aokigahara forest
for the past six decades.
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And no less disturbing
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than what happened
to a group of hikers
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on a mountaintop
nearly 4,000 miles away.
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A mountain that the locals
have named...
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"Don't Go There."
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SHATNER:
January 1959.
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Nine mountaineers from
the Ural Polytechnic Institute
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embark on a perilous journey
through Russia's Ural Mountains.
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Their destination:
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a remote mountain peak
known as Otorten,
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which in the local
Mansi language means:
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"Don't Go There."
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STONEHILL:
They went out on this very
strenuous trek, or mission,
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to show that the mountain
could be conquered.
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As far as we know,
they were all experienced.
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Igor Dyatlov,
who was in charge of the group,
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had about seven missions
to his name.
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Similar missions.
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They were supposed just
to study the mountain,
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to show that they can withstand
the incredible cold
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in this desolate place,
and come back.
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SHATNER:
A few days into their trek,
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the hikers move through a
mountain pass with high winds
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and poor visibility,
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causing them to veer
miles off course.
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Realizing their mistake,
and faced with the bitter cold
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of the coming night,
they choose to stop and camp
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on a slope called
Kholat Syakhl,
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which in Mansi translates
to "The Mountain of the Dead."
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STONEHILL:
It's a really windy area.
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When I say "windy,"
the winds are horrible.
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And they should not have
put the tent on that slope.
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They could have done it easily,
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what, 100 meters away,
in the forest.
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They went against
all the knowledge
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that experienced trackers
should have.
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So, why would they
put it out there?
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What drove them?
Nobody knows for sure.
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SHATNER:
Weeks later,
when it becomes clear
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that the group has failed
to return from its expedition,
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a military search and rescue
operation is launched.
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They find the campsite abandoned
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and a tent
that has been torn to pieces.
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Curiously, the investigators
determined that the tent
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00:12:58,342 --> 00:13:00,692
was cut and ripped open
from the inside,
252
00:13:00,736 --> 00:13:04,827
and the hikers appear to have
fled in socks, or barefoot.
253
00:13:04,871 --> 00:13:08,744
We're dealing with a group
of experienced hikers
254
00:13:08,788 --> 00:13:10,833
who escaped their tent
in the middle of the night
255
00:13:10,877 --> 00:13:12,400
without any reason,
256
00:13:12,443 --> 00:13:14,228
unless something happened
to their minds.
257
00:13:15,707 --> 00:13:16,926
SHATNER:
In search of the hikers,
258
00:13:16,970 --> 00:13:18,841
the investigators move
to the edge
259
00:13:18,885 --> 00:13:20,712
of a nearby forest.
260
00:13:20,756 --> 00:13:22,627
What they eventually find
261
00:13:22,671 --> 00:13:26,936
has defied explanation
for more than 50 years.
262
00:13:26,980 --> 00:13:28,851
STONEHILL:
Four of them were
discovered initially,
263
00:13:28,895 --> 00:13:30,722
and five of them
were found later.
264
00:13:30,766 --> 00:13:33,116
And they all died differently.
265
00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:36,772
Some of the bodies died
from exposure, and were intact.
266
00:13:36,816 --> 00:13:40,471
Some of them were
dressed completely.
267
00:13:40,515 --> 00:13:43,431
Most of them were naked,
so to say.
268
00:13:43,474 --> 00:13:46,129
Others had horrible wounds
on them.
269
00:13:46,173 --> 00:13:48,566
Their bones were crushed
inside their bodies.
270
00:13:48,610 --> 00:13:51,831
Others, their skull was crushed.
271
00:13:51,874 --> 00:13:56,270
One woman lost her tongue
and parts of her face.
272
00:13:56,313 --> 00:13:58,359
Others were burned,
273
00:13:58,402 --> 00:14:00,230
like somebody put
their feet in the fire
274
00:14:00,274 --> 00:14:01,405
or they put it themselves.
275
00:14:03,799 --> 00:14:07,672
They escaped like some force,
something scared them.
276
00:14:11,372 --> 00:14:13,940
SHATNER:
The official causes
of death for the hikers
277
00:14:13,983 --> 00:14:16,551
claimed that six had died
from hypothermia,
278
00:14:16,594 --> 00:14:19,119
and the other three
from fatal injuries
279
00:14:19,162 --> 00:14:23,601
caused by an unknown
compelling force.
280
00:14:23,645 --> 00:14:26,343
But the inquiry was forced
to an abrupt end
281
00:14:26,387 --> 00:14:27,910
by the Soviet government,
282
00:14:27,954 --> 00:14:31,087
and the chief investigator
refused to sign off
283
00:14:31,131 --> 00:14:33,046
on the final report.
284
00:14:33,089 --> 00:14:35,787
STONEHILL:
There were two investigators,
initially,
285
00:14:35,831 --> 00:14:38,573
and they were told to shut up
and close the case
286
00:14:38,616 --> 00:14:41,619
with the determination
that the cause of death
287
00:14:41,663 --> 00:14:46,015
was an invisible force of nature
that killed them.
288
00:14:46,059 --> 00:14:48,496
NOORY: In some cases,
the fact that some of them died
289
00:14:48,539 --> 00:14:51,455
from the bitter cold, okay,
that makes sense.
290
00:14:51,499 --> 00:14:53,414
They're in a region
that's freezing.
291
00:14:53,457 --> 00:14:55,155
But what about the other people?
292
00:14:55,198 --> 00:14:57,853
Fractured skulls, crushed lungs.
293
00:14:57,897 --> 00:14:59,811
There's something weird here.
294
00:15:02,249 --> 00:15:05,034
SHATNER:
What was the "compelling force"
295
00:15:05,078 --> 00:15:08,559
that inflicted such brutal
and grotesque harm
296
00:15:08,603 --> 00:15:10,605
on these victims?
297
00:15:10,648 --> 00:15:13,825
While some have speculated that
it could have been an avalanche
298
00:15:13,869 --> 00:15:16,567
or even an attack
by Mansi tribes,
299
00:15:16,611 --> 00:15:20,267
there was virtually no evidence
to support these claims.
300
00:15:20,310 --> 00:15:24,880
Others point to local legends
of some kind of monster.
301
00:15:24,924 --> 00:15:27,578
A creature capable
of tearing people apart
302
00:15:27,622 --> 00:15:30,190
with its voice.
303
00:15:30,233 --> 00:15:32,932
There are descriptions
of Mansi warning people
304
00:15:32,975 --> 00:15:36,718
not to go to this mountain,
not to go to this area,
305
00:15:36,761 --> 00:15:40,635
because the sounds that come
from there can kill you.
306
00:15:40,678 --> 00:15:43,681
The entity that lives
in that mountain
307
00:15:43,725 --> 00:15:46,554
emits horrible
shrieking sounds...
308
00:15:49,426 --> 00:15:52,212
...that can destroy
human beings.
309
00:15:56,607 --> 00:15:59,915
SHATNER:
Recently, a new theory
has surfaced.
310
00:15:59,959 --> 00:16:02,439
One that suggests
this mountain pass
311
00:16:02,483 --> 00:16:06,052
may be just as deadly as
the Mansi name for it implies.
312
00:16:06,095 --> 00:16:09,229
Not because of some
supernatural monster...
313
00:16:11,057 --> 00:16:13,842
...but for a surprisingly
scientific reason.
314
00:16:17,150 --> 00:16:19,630
So, this is a very windy pass
in the Ural Mountains.
315
00:16:19,674 --> 00:16:21,806
Uh, in 2014, there was
some study that was done
316
00:16:21,850 --> 00:16:23,895
that showed that the wind
kind of whipping through
317
00:16:23,939 --> 00:16:25,680
because of the topography
318
00:16:25,723 --> 00:16:28,378
caused low-frequency sound--
kind of a hum.
319
00:16:31,294 --> 00:16:34,471
And low-frequency sound can
cause the eyeball to vibrate.
320
00:16:34,515 --> 00:16:35,951
It can cause people
to see shadows
321
00:16:35,995 --> 00:16:37,474
out of the corner of their eyes.
322
00:16:37,518 --> 00:16:39,041
Especially if you're in
an environment
323
00:16:39,085 --> 00:16:43,045
that is desolate, which is what
that was to begin with.
324
00:16:46,092 --> 00:16:48,790
DENNIN: The dimensions and
the physics of the actual pass
325
00:16:48,833 --> 00:16:50,835
are likely to lead
to very low frequencies,
326
00:16:50,879 --> 00:16:52,533
which is exactly what
infrasound is.
327
00:16:52,576 --> 00:16:55,101
Infrasound is just referring
to any sound
328
00:16:55,144 --> 00:16:56,972
that's below our normal hearing.
329
00:16:57,016 --> 00:16:59,801
But sound itself is just
pressure waves
330
00:16:59,844 --> 00:17:01,324
and vibration of the air.
331
00:17:01,368 --> 00:17:05,285
So your body is still
detecting it,
332
00:17:05,328 --> 00:17:07,417
your ears are still
reacting to it,
333
00:17:07,461 --> 00:17:09,724
your eardrums are moving,
and that's still generating
334
00:17:09,767 --> 00:17:11,682
electrical signals
in your brain.
335
00:17:11,726 --> 00:17:13,684
So there's an impact
of the infrasound
336
00:17:13,728 --> 00:17:16,296
that we don't fully
understand yet.
337
00:17:17,732 --> 00:17:19,864
TAYLOR:
Being exposed to this sound,
338
00:17:19,908 --> 00:17:21,518
it's fatiguing your body.
339
00:17:21,562 --> 00:17:24,086
Any type of fatigue
that's long-term
340
00:17:24,130 --> 00:17:26,828
can cause significant
psychosis.
341
00:17:26,871 --> 00:17:29,265
In fact, there were
several cases
342
00:17:29,309 --> 00:17:32,790
on the Mirspace station
where the Russian cosmonauts
343
00:17:32,834 --> 00:17:35,750
were exposed
to various vibrations,
344
00:17:35,793 --> 00:17:38,448
and it caused them
to actually have psychosis.
345
00:17:38,492 --> 00:17:41,799
I have a friend who worked
on consoles for Mir,
346
00:17:41,843 --> 00:17:44,193
and he said that once,
one of the cosmonauts
347
00:17:44,237 --> 00:17:46,587
actually pulled a knife
on one of the other cosmonauts
348
00:17:46,630 --> 00:17:48,676
because of this type
of exposure.
349
00:17:48,719 --> 00:17:51,200
STONEHILL:
It's not like, uh, a rock
350
00:17:51,244 --> 00:17:52,941
falling on somebody's head.
351
00:17:52,984 --> 00:17:54,595
It's happening inside
their minds.
352
00:17:54,638 --> 00:17:57,380
And infrasound
is a powerful weapon.
353
00:17:57,424 --> 00:17:59,948
And, apparently,
it's affecting those
354
00:17:59,991 --> 00:18:01,558
who are coming to the mountain.
355
00:18:01,602 --> 00:18:03,995
That's why it is
a hypothesis now
356
00:18:04,039 --> 00:18:06,346
that is being explored
more and more in Russia
357
00:18:06,389 --> 00:18:10,306
as to the cause of death
of the Dyatlov tourists.
358
00:18:10,350 --> 00:18:13,744
I don't subscribe to the theory
that heavy winds
359
00:18:13,788 --> 00:18:17,444
created an atmosphere
where these people went nuts.
360
00:18:17,487 --> 00:18:19,837
I think there was
something else afoot,
361
00:18:19,881 --> 00:18:22,013
something very evil and strange
362
00:18:22,057 --> 00:18:23,841
that happened
to these nine hikers.
363
00:18:23,885 --> 00:18:25,887
And I hope we get
the answers to it.
364
00:18:25,930 --> 00:18:28,716
But again, maybe we don't want
the answer.
365
00:18:28,759 --> 00:18:31,632
Maybe because it's so hideous
and so evil,
366
00:18:31,675 --> 00:18:33,590
we don't want to know it.
367
00:18:40,597 --> 00:18:44,123
Did the harsh windsof the Dyatlov Pass
368
00:18:44,166 --> 00:18:46,429
really create
a low-frequency noise
369
00:18:46,473 --> 00:18:49,171
that caused the hikers
to lose their minds
370
00:18:49,215 --> 00:18:51,478
and brutally kill each other?
371
00:18:51,521 --> 00:18:54,437
Or could it be that
a mysterious, unknown monster
372
00:18:54,481 --> 00:18:57,310
was responsible
for the hikers' deaths?
373
00:18:57,353 --> 00:19:00,226
For the nine men and women
whose bodies were found
374
00:19:00,269 --> 00:19:02,706
horribly mutilated,
the question is academic.
375
00:19:02,750 --> 00:19:05,361
As far as they were concerned,
376
00:19:05,405 --> 00:19:09,235
evil... happened here.
377
00:19:09,278 --> 00:19:11,280
And it's an evil
that isn't only found
378
00:19:11,324 --> 00:19:15,806
on remote mountaintops,
but right next door.
379
00:19:15,850 --> 00:19:19,854
And often in
the unlikeliest of places.
380
00:19:23,814 --> 00:19:25,686
Mercer County, West Virginia.
381
00:19:28,906 --> 00:19:33,607
Here on the bank of Lake Shawnee
stands the abandoned remnants
382
00:19:33,650 --> 00:19:38,568
of what was once a simple,
wholesome family amusement park.
383
00:19:41,049 --> 00:19:45,227
Opened in 1926,
the park thrived for decades,
384
00:19:45,271 --> 00:19:49,536
until it was abruptly closed
in 1966.
385
00:19:49,579 --> 00:19:53,322
According to local historians,
the reason for the closure
386
00:19:53,366 --> 00:19:56,107
was that what started
as a playground for children...
387
00:19:57,674 --> 00:20:00,329
...became the site
of numerous tragic
388
00:20:00,373 --> 00:20:02,288
and disturbing incidents.
389
00:20:05,029 --> 00:20:09,295
In the 1940s, a little girl
was riding the swings,
390
00:20:11,775 --> 00:20:13,168
to the concession stand.k
delivered soda
391
00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:17,955
And whenever he did,
he backed up
392
00:20:17,999 --> 00:20:20,915
into the path of the swing,
and it killed the little girl.
393
00:20:20,958 --> 00:20:23,265
SMITH:
They tried to play it down
394
00:20:23,309 --> 00:20:26,703
because it was a child
getting killed.
395
00:20:26,747 --> 00:20:29,358
She wasn't the only child
killed here.
396
00:20:29,402 --> 00:20:31,752
There were several kids
that drowned.
397
00:20:31,795 --> 00:20:34,276
One was a really sad story,
and I would hope
398
00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:35,495
it wouldn't happen nowadays.
399
00:20:37,584 --> 00:20:40,761
A mother brought
her nine-year-old here
400
00:20:40,804 --> 00:20:43,067
and dropped him off
to go swimming.
401
00:20:43,111 --> 00:20:44,852
And she went on her merry way.
402
00:20:44,895 --> 00:20:47,811
She came back
when the park was closing,
403
00:20:47,855 --> 00:20:50,379
and she couldn't find her son.
404
00:20:50,423 --> 00:20:53,687
And they looked for the son
until 10:00 at night,
405
00:20:53,730 --> 00:20:54,905
when they found him.
406
00:20:54,949 --> 00:20:56,559
His arm was stuck
407
00:20:56,603 --> 00:20:58,822
in the drain
of the swimming pool,
408
00:20:58,866 --> 00:21:01,521
and it had sucked him in,
and he couldn't get out,
409
00:21:01,564 --> 00:21:04,785
and he had just drowned.
410
00:21:04,828 --> 00:21:06,352
There was another incident
411
00:21:06,395 --> 00:21:09,006
where there was a family out
on an outing.
412
00:21:09,050 --> 00:21:11,531
They was riding a canoe
in the lake.
413
00:21:11,574 --> 00:21:14,011
-The canoe overturned...
414
00:21:14,055 --> 00:21:15,970
and a little boy drowned
in the lake.
415
00:21:18,886 --> 00:21:21,497
SHATNER:
Before its doors were closed,
416
00:21:21,541 --> 00:21:24,718
six children had died
in the park.
417
00:21:24,761 --> 00:21:27,111
And that might have been
reason enough for the park
418
00:21:27,155 --> 00:21:29,940
to remain closed...
but it didn't.
419
00:21:29,984 --> 00:21:34,336
In 1985, local resident
Gaylord White
420
00:21:34,380 --> 00:21:37,557
purchased the property
with hopes of reopening it.
421
00:21:40,037 --> 00:21:42,953
JEWELL WHITE:
In the 1950s,
Gaylord, my husband,
422
00:21:42,997 --> 00:21:45,521
worked here
when he was in high school.
423
00:21:45,565 --> 00:21:47,828
He fell in love with it.
424
00:21:47,871 --> 00:21:49,743
So that was his wish,
425
00:21:49,786 --> 00:21:52,180
that someday he would
own the park.
426
00:21:52,223 --> 00:21:55,096
And somebody had sent us word
427
00:21:55,139 --> 00:21:57,054
that the heirs
d finally decided
428
00:21:57,098 --> 00:21:58,665
they were going to sell it.
429
00:21:58,708 --> 00:22:01,145
That's how we bought it.
430
00:22:01,189 --> 00:22:05,062
We wanted to have
a children's ride park.
431
00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:12,679
SHATNER:
For years, locals believed
that the park was haunted.
432
00:22:12,722 --> 00:22:15,595
Maybe even cursed.
433
00:22:15,638 --> 00:22:17,988
Then, in the late 1980s,
434
00:22:18,032 --> 00:22:21,078
the White family
made some curious discoveries.
435
00:22:23,211 --> 00:22:25,344
CHRIS:
We started finding
a lot of pottery
436
00:22:25,387 --> 00:22:30,305
and Native American tools
and arrowheads, stuff like that.
437
00:22:30,349 --> 00:22:33,917
So we stopped doing
the bulldozing.
438
00:22:33,961 --> 00:22:36,006
We called Marshall University.
439
00:22:36,050 --> 00:22:38,269
They put together
an archaeological team
440
00:22:38,313 --> 00:22:40,446
that would come down
to the park.
441
00:22:40,489 --> 00:22:43,144
They started uncovering bodies.
442
00:22:43,187 --> 00:22:46,408
So that's when we knew we had
a Native American burial ground
443
00:22:46,452 --> 00:22:47,888
on the property.
444
00:22:50,107 --> 00:22:52,414
I know that one
of the burial sites
445
00:22:52,458 --> 00:22:55,765
was a Native American
14-year-old girl,
446
00:22:55,809 --> 00:22:59,726
and the belief is that she died
from giving childbirth
447
00:22:59,769 --> 00:23:02,468
because the child was buried
next to her.
448
00:23:06,297 --> 00:23:08,735
SHATNER:
A series of tragic deaths
449
00:23:08,778 --> 00:23:11,651
at an amusement park
built on the site
450
00:23:11,694 --> 00:23:14,175
of a Native American
burial ground?
451
00:23:14,218 --> 00:23:16,917
-A coincidence?
452
00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:20,747
As far as paranormal
investigators are concerned...
453
00:23:20,790 --> 00:23:23,489
not a chance.
454
00:23:23,532 --> 00:23:27,449
SPINKS:
The first time I stepped foot
on Lake Shawnee Amusement Park,
455
00:23:27,493 --> 00:23:30,191
I felt like I was being watched.
456
00:23:30,234 --> 00:23:34,674
It was an ominous,
just negative feeling.
457
00:23:38,286 --> 00:23:41,681
I don't necessarily believe
that places are born bad.
458
00:23:43,334 --> 00:23:46,425
I believe that things
have to occur
459
00:23:46,468 --> 00:23:50,211
for a place to become
negative in nature.
460
00:23:50,254 --> 00:23:53,388
CHRIS:
People said whenever
they come to the park
461
00:23:53,432 --> 00:23:56,696
that they see the swings
move on their own,
462
00:23:56,739 --> 00:23:58,741
or maybe they see an image
of the little girl
463
00:23:58,785 --> 00:24:00,003
that's riding the swings.
464
00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:06,401
SMITH:
Seeing only one swing move
when I look at it,
465
00:24:06,445 --> 00:24:08,185
and no one else sees it,
466
00:24:08,229 --> 00:24:10,492
or it stops as soon
as someone else is looking,
467
00:24:10,536 --> 00:24:12,059
that's pretty scary.
468
00:24:12,102 --> 00:24:14,888
More than scary,
it's unexplained.
469
00:24:16,803 --> 00:24:19,501
We tend to be scientists now,
all of us.
470
00:24:19,545 --> 00:24:21,329
We know everything
that's going on.
471
00:24:21,372 --> 00:24:24,027
And when you see something
that you don't understand,
472
00:24:24,071 --> 00:24:26,334
it gets to be creepy.
473
00:24:26,377 --> 00:24:28,945
AUERBACH:
Millions of people
have had these experiences.
474
00:24:28,989 --> 00:24:31,426
Not just hauntings,
but also of ESP experiences
475
00:24:31,470 --> 00:24:33,167
and-and related experiences.
476
00:24:33,210 --> 00:24:35,952
These are questions that science
should be looking at
477
00:24:35,996 --> 00:24:37,693
very carefully and closely.
478
00:24:37,737 --> 00:24:39,521
And to say,
oh, it's mass hallucination
479
00:24:39,565 --> 00:24:41,741
or it's this kind of explanation
480
00:24:41,784 --> 00:24:43,743
without looking into
the experience itself,
481
00:24:43,786 --> 00:24:45,440
either the singular
or the general patterns,
482
00:24:45,484 --> 00:24:47,224
is not scientific.
483
00:24:47,268 --> 00:24:48,704
It's highly unscientific.
484
00:24:50,271 --> 00:24:52,055
SHATNER:
Is the dark history
485
00:24:52,099 --> 00:24:53,927
of the Lake Shawnee
Amusement Park
486
00:24:53,970 --> 00:24:56,973
the result of a curse
placed upon anyone
487
00:24:57,017 --> 00:24:59,672
who dares to desecrate
this sacred ground?
488
00:24:59,715 --> 00:25:04,590
Or was the area always
a place of evil?
489
00:25:04,633 --> 00:25:07,767
A place where bad things
will always happen,
490
00:25:07,810 --> 00:25:10,204
regardless of what
is built there?
491
00:25:10,247 --> 00:25:13,512
Perhaps the answer can be found
by examining a place
492
00:25:13,555 --> 00:25:16,558
where some people believe evil
not only happens
493
00:25:16,602 --> 00:25:19,300
but can actually be measured.
494
00:25:19,343 --> 00:25:23,043
Not only in fear and suffering,
but scientifically.
495
00:25:23,086 --> 00:25:25,567
And can be proven
to be as tangible
496
00:25:25,611 --> 00:25:28,265
as flesh and blood.
497
00:25:36,230 --> 00:25:38,232
SHATNER:
Cayuga, Indiana.
498
00:25:38,275 --> 00:25:42,018
February 16, 2019.
499
00:25:42,062 --> 00:25:45,326
Paranormal investigator
Dave Spinks
500
00:25:45,369 --> 00:25:47,850
and his associate Haley Sharp
501
00:25:47,894 --> 00:25:50,940
have traveled here
to this small town
502
00:25:50,984 --> 00:25:53,464
to investigate a house
that many consider
503
00:25:53,508 --> 00:25:56,946
to be the most evil place
in North America.
504
00:25:58,469 --> 00:26:00,515
Referred to as Willows Weep,
505
00:26:00,559 --> 00:26:03,866
it has been the site
of a series of gruesome deaths
506
00:26:03,910 --> 00:26:06,913
since it was built
in the 19th century.
507
00:26:15,791 --> 00:26:17,793
Brenda Johnson
owns Willows Weep.
508
00:26:17,837 --> 00:26:19,708
-Hi, Brenda.
-Hi, Dave.
509
00:26:19,752 --> 00:26:20,970
SHATNER:
She dismissed the rumors
510
00:26:21,014 --> 00:26:22,842
about it being an evil place
511
00:26:22,885 --> 00:26:25,584
and purchased it
only a few years ago,
512
00:26:25,627 --> 00:26:27,281
with plans to renovate it.
513
00:26:27,324 --> 00:26:28,499
-This is my assistant, Haley.
-Hi.
514
00:26:28,543 --> 00:26:29,675
-Hi.
-It's nice to meet you.
515
00:26:29,718 --> 00:26:31,198
SHATNER:
But recent events
516
00:26:31,241 --> 00:26:33,200
have convinced her
that she may have made
517
00:26:33,243 --> 00:26:35,289
a terrible mistake.
518
00:26:35,332 --> 00:26:38,205
To this end,
she's invited Dave and Haley
519
00:26:38,248 --> 00:26:40,250
to come and investigate
the house,
520
00:26:40,294 --> 00:26:43,993
and see if her strange
experiences can be verified.
521
00:26:44,037 --> 00:26:46,822
SPINKS:
So... how are you doing?
522
00:26:46,866 --> 00:26:48,171
Not good standing here.
523
00:26:48,215 --> 00:26:50,913
All night last night, I was sick
524
00:26:50,957 --> 00:26:53,829
thinking about coming over here
around this house.
525
00:26:53,873 --> 00:26:55,135
So tell us a little bit
about the house,
526
00:26:55,178 --> 00:26:56,179
some of your experiences here.
527
00:26:56,223 --> 00:26:58,442
Well, when I bought the house,
528
00:26:58,486 --> 00:27:00,444
we started working on it,
529
00:27:00,488 --> 00:27:02,490
and then my son was
working on the ceiling,
530
00:27:02,533 --> 00:27:06,363
the boards come flying off
at him and hurt him, and...
531
00:27:06,407 --> 00:27:08,017
I've been scratched in there.
532
00:27:08,061 --> 00:27:10,063
Six claw marks down my back.
533
00:27:10,106 --> 00:27:13,501
Doors slamming on you,
banging underneath the floors.
534
00:27:13,544 --> 00:27:15,764
SPINKS:
I understand there's been deaths
in this house.
535
00:27:15,808 --> 00:27:17,592
Can you kind of go
through those a little bit?
536
00:27:17,636 --> 00:27:18,680
Yeah.
537
00:27:20,639 --> 00:27:24,643
The man that built the house,
he died in the bathtub.
538
00:27:24,686 --> 00:27:28,908
There was two suicides,
and then another hanging.
539
00:27:28,951 --> 00:27:34,217
And I heard that three men
had been poisoned.
540
00:27:34,261 --> 00:27:37,220
About six months prior
before I bought it,
541
00:27:37,264 --> 00:27:40,267
there was a man that,
he committed suicide in there.
542
00:27:40,310 --> 00:27:42,095
He fell into the chair and...
543
00:27:42,138 --> 00:27:43,836
SPINKS:
That's where they found him?
544
00:27:43,879 --> 00:27:45,794
They found him, what,
a couple days later, right?
545
00:27:45,838 --> 00:27:48,754
-JOHNSON: A week.
-SPINKS: A week?
Week later. Okay.
546
00:27:50,756 --> 00:27:52,801
Do you think what's
in that house is evil?
547
00:27:52,845 --> 00:27:54,498
Yes, I do.
548
00:27:54,542 --> 00:27:57,023
-Without a doubt?
-Yes, I do, without a doubt.
549
00:27:57,066 --> 00:27:59,503
If it wasn't evil,
it wouldn't be hurting people.
550
00:27:59,547 --> 00:28:01,897
I don't think there's
nothing good in there.
551
00:28:01,941 --> 00:28:05,205
-The house was built
in the late 1800s, correct?
-1890.
552
00:28:05,248 --> 00:28:08,425
-Yes.
-SPINKS: So, regarding
the shape of the house,
553
00:28:08,469 --> 00:28:10,253
it's in the shape of a-a cross.
554
00:28:10,297 --> 00:28:11,602
Upside-down cross.
555
00:28:11,646 --> 00:28:14,605
-SPINKS: Strange.
-JOHNSON: Yes.
556
00:28:14,649 --> 00:28:17,391
Very strange.
557
00:28:17,434 --> 00:28:19,915
SPINKS:
Do you think the guy was
into some weird stuff,
558
00:28:19,959 --> 00:28:22,352
like occult stuff,
that built it?
559
00:28:22,396 --> 00:28:24,137
Why would you build
a house like that
560
00:28:24,180 --> 00:28:25,268
if you wasn't into something?
561
00:28:25,312 --> 00:28:26,835
SPINKS:
Absolutely.
562
00:28:26,879 --> 00:28:28,750
So we're getting ready
to go into this house
563
00:28:28,794 --> 00:28:30,926
and investigate it.
Would you like to join us?
564
00:28:30,970 --> 00:28:33,059
No. No way.
Never go back in there again.
565
00:28:33,102 --> 00:28:35,017
-Ever.
-All right. We're gonna
566
00:28:35,061 --> 00:28:37,280
-get in there and investigate.
-All right.
567
00:28:40,762 --> 00:28:42,633
-SPINKS: Here we go.
-SHARP: All right.
568
00:28:45,245 --> 00:28:47,856
Pretty heavy in here.
569
00:28:47,900 --> 00:28:49,031
SHARP:
Definitely.
570
00:28:51,338 --> 00:28:53,296
Well, where do you want
to get set up?
571
00:28:53,340 --> 00:28:55,298
-Right here.
-Okay.
572
00:28:55,342 --> 00:28:58,824
SHATNER:
To see if the house
might contain strange anomalies,
573
00:28:58,867 --> 00:29:01,957
Dave and Haley will use
a temperature sensor,
574
00:29:02,001 --> 00:29:04,394
which can detect fluctuations
in both temperature
575
00:29:04,438 --> 00:29:07,484
and electromagnetic fields.
576
00:29:07,528 --> 00:29:10,705
All right, 41, 40 degrees,
and it's going down.
577
00:29:18,191 --> 00:29:20,062
SHARP:
It really likes this area.
578
00:29:20,106 --> 00:29:24,806
SPINKS:
Yeah. It's going nuts.
579
00:29:24,850 --> 00:29:26,982
SHATNER: The temperature sensor
has been dropping steadily,
580
00:29:27,026 --> 00:29:29,289
by as much as nine degrees.
581
00:29:29,332 --> 00:29:31,813
But why?
582
00:29:31,857 --> 00:29:33,684
So, this room is appearing to be
583
00:29:33,728 --> 00:29:35,599
-pretty active so far.
-Yeah.
584
00:29:35,643 --> 00:29:37,645
I mean, the whole house
really is.
585
00:29:37,688 --> 00:29:42,084
But we've got a lot of hits
right here, uh, on this device.
586
00:29:42,128 --> 00:29:44,826
SHARP:
This is the chair
that Brenda was talking about.
587
00:29:44,870 --> 00:29:46,828
SPINKS:
Yeah, look at the blood on it.
588
00:29:46,872 --> 00:29:50,092
It's a really sad,
heavy feeling right here, too,
589
00:29:50,136 --> 00:29:52,486
in the pit of my stomach.
590
00:29:52,529 --> 00:29:56,185
Almost immediately, the device
started going off in the chair,
591
00:29:56,229 --> 00:30:00,581
where a man who killed himself
in the house several years ago
592
00:30:00,624 --> 00:30:03,323
-was found in.
-SHARP: Something there.
593
00:30:03,366 --> 00:30:05,020
SHATNER:
Could the strange changes
594
00:30:05,064 --> 00:30:06,587
in the temperature of the house
595
00:30:06,630 --> 00:30:09,242
be caused by some
explainable force?
596
00:30:09,285 --> 00:30:11,635
A sudden drop
in barometric pressure
597
00:30:11,679 --> 00:30:15,770
caused by the presence of a deep
underground well, perhaps?
598
00:30:17,467 --> 00:30:21,384
Or could it be caused by...
something else?
599
00:30:21,428 --> 00:30:24,605
Something that can't yet
be explained?
600
00:30:24,648 --> 00:30:27,651
I'm getting the sickness,
the headache.
601
00:30:27,695 --> 00:30:31,481
Definitely something negative
in here, in my opinion.
602
00:30:31,525 --> 00:30:33,657
-I agree.
-All right, so let's
get out of here.
603
00:30:33,701 --> 00:30:34,920
-Let's go.
-All right.
604
00:30:34,963 --> 00:30:37,487
SHATNER:
Dave and Haley are beginning
605
00:30:37,531 --> 00:30:39,272
to suspect that the stories
606
00:30:39,315 --> 00:30:42,057
of Willows Weep
being an evil place
607
00:30:42,101 --> 00:30:45,887
might be based on more
than fear and superstition.
608
00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:49,064
SHARP:
The house is scary.
609
00:30:49,108 --> 00:30:51,632
I wouldn't want to be
in this house alone.
610
00:30:51,675 --> 00:30:53,808
I'd say this house
does have some evil in it.
611
00:30:53,852 --> 00:30:55,941
It does not give you
a good feeling.
612
00:30:55,984 --> 00:30:58,334
It wants to suck the life
out of you.
613
00:31:00,989 --> 00:31:02,991
SPINKS:
I've been to many locations,
614
00:31:03,035 --> 00:31:05,864
and this one stands out
above all of them so far.
615
00:31:05,907 --> 00:31:09,389
In my personal opinion,
there are many spirits
616
00:31:09,432 --> 00:31:11,565
and entities in this house.
617
00:31:11,608 --> 00:31:14,785
There are human spirits
and possibly demonic spirits
618
00:31:14,829 --> 00:31:18,267
that influenced the humans
that have lived in this house
619
00:31:18,311 --> 00:31:22,402
and quite possibly have
caused them to harm themselves.
620
00:31:24,795 --> 00:31:27,711
SHATNER:
Once outside, Dave and Haley
give owner Brenda Johnson
621
00:31:27,755 --> 00:31:31,019
a report on their findings,
but not before
622
00:31:31,063 --> 00:31:34,718
Dave makes Brenda
a rather surprising offer.
623
00:31:34,762 --> 00:31:36,503
I know you really don't
like this place.
624
00:31:36,546 --> 00:31:39,201
-No.
-And I know that you want
to get rid of it.
625
00:31:39,245 --> 00:31:42,422
-Yeah.
-Because I'd like to purchase
the house from you.
626
00:31:43,989 --> 00:31:45,729
-Mm-hmm.
-Okay.
627
00:31:45,773 --> 00:31:47,470
-Yes.
-SHATNER: Dave is willing to be
628
00:31:47,514 --> 00:31:49,472
-the next owner of Willows Weep.
-All right.
629
00:31:49,516 --> 00:31:51,170
-All right. Thank you.
-Thank you, hon.
630
00:31:51,213 --> 00:31:53,694
SPINKS:
I told Brenda,
if I owned this house,
631
00:31:53,737 --> 00:31:56,262
I could investigate it
much further
632
00:31:56,305 --> 00:31:58,568
and much more in-depth,
633
00:31:58,612 --> 00:32:01,528
and possibly come
to a conclusion
634
00:32:01,571 --> 00:32:05,140
as to what's causing the evil
that lurks within its walls.
635
00:32:05,184 --> 00:32:07,621
That is, if something
doesn't happen to me first.
636
00:32:07,664 --> 00:32:08,970
JOHNSON:
You, too.
637
00:32:09,014 --> 00:32:10,363
SPINKS:
Luckily for me, she agreed.
638
00:32:10,406 --> 00:32:12,800
She really couldn't wait
to sell the place.
639
00:32:15,063 --> 00:32:18,937
Was Willows Weep really built
to attract evil spirits?
640
00:32:18,980 --> 00:32:22,331
For Brenda Johnson,
Dave Spinks and Haley Sharp,
641
00:32:22,375 --> 00:32:26,596
the answer
is a very disturbing yes.
642
00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:29,208
But why would someone
643
00:32:29,251 --> 00:32:32,646
deliberately want to construct
an evil place?
644
00:32:32,689 --> 00:32:37,303
Unless, perhaps, it wasn't meant
to attract demonic spirits,
645
00:32:37,346 --> 00:32:39,914
but to entrap them,
646
00:32:39,958 --> 00:32:43,004
in an effort to create
a deadly warning
647
00:32:43,048 --> 00:32:46,529
that demons are real.
648
00:32:52,448 --> 00:32:56,191
SHATNER:
Honduras, February 2015.
649
00:32:57,453 --> 00:32:59,499
Deep in the heart of the jungle,
650
00:32:59,542 --> 00:33:03,372
a team of American explorers,
journalists and archaeologists
651
00:33:03,416 --> 00:33:05,548
make a dramatic discovery:
652
00:33:05,592 --> 00:33:07,246
evidence of an ancient city
653
00:33:07,289 --> 00:33:11,815
that has been lost
for more than 500 years.
654
00:33:11,859 --> 00:33:14,688
We were standing there
on the banks of this river,
655
00:33:14,731 --> 00:33:17,647
and the archaeologist was
pointing to this wall of jungle
656
00:33:17,691 --> 00:33:19,345
and saying, across the river,
657
00:33:19,388 --> 00:33:22,130
"That's the beginning
of the lost city."
658
00:33:24,393 --> 00:33:26,743
So we crossed the river
659
00:33:26,787 --> 00:33:29,790
with the soldiers with machetes
cutting a path for us.
660
00:33:32,227 --> 00:33:35,404
And all of a sudden, there it is
rising up out of the jungle.
661
00:33:35,448 --> 00:33:37,232
Just straight up, practically.
662
00:33:37,276 --> 00:33:39,539
It was the most amazing thing.
663
00:33:42,716 --> 00:33:46,676
And then what we saw
was a cache of sacred objects
664
00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:49,549
carved out of stone
that had been left
665
00:33:49,592 --> 00:33:52,291
at the time
the city was abandoned,
666
00:33:52,334 --> 00:33:55,990
and this was a gigantic mystery.
667
00:33:56,034 --> 00:33:58,993
Why did these people leave
all of a sudden?
668
00:34:01,952 --> 00:34:04,390
SHATNER:
The expedition announced
669
00:34:04,433 --> 00:34:07,088
that they had uncovered
the top level of a vast city
670
00:34:07,132 --> 00:34:10,744
which has been buried under
centuries of jungle vegetation.
671
00:34:10,787 --> 00:34:13,660
Soon afterwards,
many began to speculate
672
00:34:13,703 --> 00:34:17,055
as to whether the ruins
were those of a legendary place
673
00:34:17,098 --> 00:34:19,927
known to Hondurans
as Ciudad Blanca,
674
00:34:19,970 --> 00:34:22,625
or the White City,
675
00:34:22,669 --> 00:34:26,368
a place that was believed to
have been deserted centuries ago
676
00:34:26,412 --> 00:34:29,806
because of a deadly curse.
677
00:34:29,850 --> 00:34:33,462
When we went to do
our ground expedition in 2015,
678
00:34:33,506 --> 00:34:37,597
many of the local Hondurans and
the Honduran Air Force people
679
00:34:37,640 --> 00:34:40,034
that were with us
and the special forces people
680
00:34:40,078 --> 00:34:42,036
said, "Oh, yeah, my grandmother
or my grandfather told me
681
00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:44,038
"all about the lost city
when we were kids,
682
00:34:44,082 --> 00:34:46,040
and they said it's cursed."
683
00:34:46,084 --> 00:34:50,827
They said, "If you go there
and you pick any of the flowers,
684
00:34:50,871 --> 00:34:53,395
you will die,
you will never come back."
685
00:34:57,182 --> 00:34:59,401
TOK THOMPSON:
In the case of the White City,
686
00:34:59,445 --> 00:35:03,013
there is a very interesting
tradition of a Tawahka Indian
687
00:35:03,057 --> 00:35:05,407
who came to live there
with them,
688
00:35:05,451 --> 00:35:08,584
uh, and they refused him
shelter, chased him out.
689
00:35:08,628 --> 00:35:11,370
And in turn, he cursed the city,
690
00:35:11,413 --> 00:35:14,721
-and he cursed that area...
691
00:35:14,764 --> 00:35:18,942
so that it became, basically,
a poisonous area to live in
692
00:35:18,986 --> 00:35:21,162
and the people had to abandon
their city and leave.
693
00:35:24,818 --> 00:35:26,907
PRESTON:
You know, we heard
these stories,
694
00:35:26,950 --> 00:35:29,039
but, you know, we're scientists.
695
00:35:29,083 --> 00:35:33,522
We're anthropologists,
archaeologists, ethnobotanists.
696
00:35:33,566 --> 00:35:35,829
You know, we don't believe
in curses.
697
00:35:35,872 --> 00:35:37,961
Or so we thought.
698
00:35:38,005 --> 00:35:42,444
But, you know, sometimes curses
are based on the truth.
699
00:35:46,492 --> 00:35:49,843
ELKINS:
After we completed
our first ground expedition,
700
00:35:49,886 --> 00:35:52,454
everybody came back alive,
nobody got injured.
701
00:35:52,498 --> 00:35:54,195
We're shaking hands,
702
00:35:54,239 --> 00:35:56,719
tipping a beer and going,
"Great, we made it."
703
00:35:56,763 --> 00:35:58,417
You know, everyone survived.
704
00:35:58,460 --> 00:36:00,158
We all had hundreds
of bug bites.
705
00:36:02,247 --> 00:36:06,251
Didn't think anything of them
until about a month later.
706
00:36:06,294 --> 00:36:11,821
And 60% of our crew,
including the Hondurans,
707
00:36:11,865 --> 00:36:14,041
they had a bug bite
that didn't go away.
708
00:36:14,084 --> 00:36:16,348
It got bigger.
709
00:36:16,391 --> 00:36:21,831
Eventually, it became a big
open wound, a big open ulcer.
710
00:36:21,875 --> 00:36:23,964
A couple other people
became very, very ill.
711
00:36:24,007 --> 00:36:26,575
Two of them almost died.
712
00:36:26,619 --> 00:36:29,926
And then we had them diagnose it
at NIH, and they said, yes,
713
00:36:29,970 --> 00:36:32,799
you have leishmaniasis, but not
even just regular leishmaniasis.
714
00:36:32,842 --> 00:36:34,627
This is an entirely new one.
715
00:36:34,670 --> 00:36:36,977
We just did a genetic sequence,
716
00:36:37,020 --> 00:36:39,806
and it's a really virulent one
we've never seen before.
717
00:36:42,156 --> 00:36:45,594
SHATNER:
More commonly known
as "flesh-eating disease,"
718
00:36:45,638 --> 00:36:48,815
leishmaniasis is a rare
parasitic disease
719
00:36:48,858 --> 00:36:51,818
that is spread by the bites
of certain sandflies.
720
00:36:51,861 --> 00:36:54,299
The affliction eats away
at the skin
721
00:36:54,342 --> 00:36:57,258
of the limbs, nose and mouth.
722
00:36:57,302 --> 00:36:58,999
The new strain
that infected the explorers
723
00:36:59,042 --> 00:37:00,914
is particularly aggressive
724
00:37:00,957 --> 00:37:04,004
and, if not treated properly,
fatal.
725
00:37:05,614 --> 00:37:08,748
But even so, a parasitic disease
726
00:37:08,791 --> 00:37:11,751
is hardly proof
of an ancient curse.
727
00:37:11,794 --> 00:37:14,536
Or is it?
728
00:37:14,580 --> 00:37:17,278
WHITEHEAD:
What's interesting
about the legend of this curse
729
00:37:17,322 --> 00:37:19,541
is that it actually does
appear to be true.
730
00:37:19,585 --> 00:37:22,501
How can we explain that hundreds
of years ago,
731
00:37:22,544 --> 00:37:25,286
a man left a curse saying
that, forevermore,
732
00:37:25,330 --> 00:37:28,550
people will be ravaged by
disease and all of these things,
733
00:37:28,594 --> 00:37:30,726
and then we actually
see it happen?
734
00:37:32,293 --> 00:37:34,252
SHATNER:
Was it merely a coincidence
735
00:37:34,295 --> 00:37:36,645
that the American team
happened to contract
736
00:37:36,689 --> 00:37:39,387
a deadly and previously
unknown disease
737
00:37:39,431 --> 00:37:41,259
at a site believed to be cursed?
738
00:37:43,261 --> 00:37:47,047
Or could the curse
have been real?
739
00:37:47,090 --> 00:37:48,918
As far as journalist
Doug Preston is concerned,
740
00:37:48,962 --> 00:37:51,138
the answer is obvious.
741
00:37:51,181 --> 00:37:53,575
PRESTON:
I used to think that curses
were just kind of silly,
742
00:37:53,619 --> 00:37:55,577
but not anymore.
743
00:37:55,621 --> 00:37:59,146
Next time I go somewhere
and I'm told that it's cursed,
744
00:37:59,189 --> 00:38:01,148
I'm really gonna
think twice about it.
745
00:38:02,584 --> 00:38:06,066
SHATNER:
If evil places really do exist,
746
00:38:06,109 --> 00:38:08,286
is it possible to cure them?
747
00:38:08,329 --> 00:38:10,288
To rid them of the pestilence
748
00:38:10,331 --> 00:38:13,334
that infects anyone
who gets too close?
749
00:38:13,378 --> 00:38:17,077
There are those who believe
the answer is a profound yes.
750
00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:19,775
And it involves fighting fire...
751
00:38:21,211 --> 00:38:23,083
...with fire.
752
00:38:32,745 --> 00:38:37,315
SHATNER:
Dogotuki Village, Fiji,
July 2018.
753
00:38:37,358 --> 00:38:40,666
Members of a church group
set two houses on fire
754
00:38:40,709 --> 00:38:42,581
and burn them to the ground.
755
00:38:42,624 --> 00:38:45,148
The blaze is intended
to purge the village
756
00:38:45,192 --> 00:38:47,716
of evil spirits believed
to have been responsible
757
00:38:47,760 --> 00:38:49,849
for the recent deaths
of 20 people.
758
00:38:54,070 --> 00:38:56,551
These houses were older houses,
but they had been
759
00:38:56,595 --> 00:39:00,207
traditionally associated
with magical practices
760
00:39:00,250 --> 00:39:03,863
and the reports of witchcraft
being practiced.
761
00:39:03,906 --> 00:39:06,822
WHITEHEAD:
And as they burnt the places
down to the ground,
762
00:39:06,866 --> 00:39:08,520
some of the villagers reported
seeing a demon
763
00:39:08,563 --> 00:39:11,131
come out of the ashes.
764
00:39:11,174 --> 00:39:14,134
And they've reported all kinds
of really creepy things
765
00:39:14,177 --> 00:39:16,963
that happened once they tried
to burn down those houses.
766
00:39:17,006 --> 00:39:20,183
So the question is:
Were they successful
767
00:39:20,227 --> 00:39:22,316
in getting rid of evil
in that place?
768
00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:26,233
Or did they actually just
aggravate it more
769
00:39:26,276 --> 00:39:28,366
by burning those houses
to the ground?
770
00:39:30,193 --> 00:39:32,718
THOMPSON:
Fire is a very common means
771
00:39:32,761 --> 00:39:35,416
of spiritual purification.
772
00:39:35,460 --> 00:39:40,378
And so many different traditions
incorporate fire in some sense,
773
00:39:40,421 --> 00:39:44,773
very often
for its destructive properties,
774
00:39:44,817 --> 00:39:48,429
and yet at the same time,
cleansing properties.
775
00:39:48,473 --> 00:39:51,824
I've had a lot of people on my
radio show who have apparently
776
00:39:51,867 --> 00:39:55,393
cleansed haunted houses
and haunted areas.
777
00:39:55,436 --> 00:39:57,960
They talk about putting sage
778
00:39:58,004 --> 00:40:00,615
around the perimeter
of the house
779
00:40:00,659 --> 00:40:04,271
and things like that that chase
away the evil spirits.
780
00:40:04,314 --> 00:40:08,101
But by and large,
I'm not sure that works.
781
00:40:08,144 --> 00:40:11,496
I think once a place is haunted,
it's gonna haunt,
782
00:40:11,539 --> 00:40:13,889
it's gonna do what it does.
783
00:40:13,933 --> 00:40:17,937
ONO:
I think there are energies in
life that we don't understand.
784
00:40:17,980 --> 00:40:20,418
Either created
through our own minds
785
00:40:20,461 --> 00:40:22,376
in our own physical energy,
786
00:40:22,420 --> 00:40:26,206
or perhaps
the physical energy of a place.
787
00:40:26,249 --> 00:40:30,384
There are places where people
have died either violently
788
00:40:30,428 --> 00:40:34,432
or tragically, and that creates
this dark energy.
789
00:40:34,475 --> 00:40:38,871
There might be some
negative spirits, some ghosts.
790
00:40:38,914 --> 00:40:40,960
And that force
that's happening within it
791
00:40:41,003 --> 00:40:42,918
could also affect people.
792
00:40:42,962 --> 00:40:47,488
SPINKS: I've been to some of the
most evil and nasty locations
793
00:40:47,532 --> 00:40:51,361
one could imagine, and I've seen
people's lives ruined
794
00:40:51,405 --> 00:40:54,321
by these negative evil forces.
795
00:40:54,364 --> 00:40:58,412
And in my opinion, some of these
locations are stained forever
796
00:40:58,456 --> 00:41:03,504
with the blood and the energy
of these tragic events.
797
00:41:03,548 --> 00:41:07,247
These murders, these suicides.
798
00:41:07,290 --> 00:41:09,728
And to me,
that can never go away.
799
00:41:15,516 --> 00:41:18,519
Fire,
800
00:41:18,563 --> 00:41:22,480
cleansing the evil that infects
certain cursed places.
801
00:41:22,523 --> 00:41:23,872
Nonsense, right?
802
00:41:23,916 --> 00:41:25,395
As far as you're concerned,
803
00:41:25,439 --> 00:41:27,006
there's no such thing
as evil places.
804
00:41:27,049 --> 00:41:30,400
Well, then maybe you'd like
to spend the night
805
00:41:30,444 --> 00:41:33,665
at Willows Weep, hmm?
806
00:41:33,708 --> 00:41:38,147
Or ride the swing set
at Lake Shawnee Amusement Park.
807
00:41:38,191 --> 00:41:42,238
Or perhaps you'd like
to have a picnic lunch
808
00:41:42,282 --> 00:41:44,806
at Japan's Suicide Forest.
809
00:41:44,850 --> 00:41:47,374
No?
810
00:41:47,417 --> 00:41:49,942
What's the matter,
are you frightened?
811
00:41:49,985 --> 00:41:53,162
Or are you just too smart
812
00:41:53,206 --> 00:41:55,948
to tamper with things
in the world
813
00:41:55,991 --> 00:41:59,865
that are The UnXplained?
814
00:41:59,908 --> 00:42:02,737
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