All language subtitles for A.Cursed.Man.2025.CONVERT.1080p.WEBRip.x264.AAC-[YTS.MX]

So, knowing what you know now, would you
still get cursed?

That's a good question.

Honestly, I don't know.

You're literally begging the devil just
to prove to you that God's real.

There's evil people. There's evil
energy.

And if you're playing around with that,
you'd be lucky to make it out alive.

This is going to be fun.

Y 'all better not call me at 2 o 'clock
in the morning talking about this man's

dick. I don't want to hear that.

in an age of staggering advances in
science and technology.

To our predecessors of just a few
hundred years ago, much of the world

would be indistinguishable from magic.

But we might not be so far removed from
the old world of gobs and superstition

as we might think.

80 % of people in the US identify as
either religious or spiritual.

Three out of four Americans believe in
some form of the paranormal and similar

figures are reflected globally.

Is belief in the supernatural simply a
remnant of an evolutionary trait?

Or is there a deeper and more profound
truth to the nature of consciousness

we've yet to uncover?

I've been making documentary films now
for more than 20 years.

It's a career that brought me to the US
over a decade ago, where I met my wife

and now have a happy little family with
two cats.

In my work, I've been lucky enough to
film in some exotic and often remote

places around the globe.

Something that caught my imagination is
that everywhere I've travelled, lying

just below the surface, of our seemingly
modern world.

There's a persistent undercurrent of
belief in the spirit world.

I can't help wondering why are we so
hardwired to believe in the

Surely it's all superstition.

That's when I stumbled on an unusual
idea.

What would happen if I willingly asked
someone to put a curse On me.

Hey, babe.

Hey. How are you?

I'm good.

Found anyone to curse you yet?

No.

Ever since I met you, I've known that
you're curious about this kind of stuff

and you're always wanting to explore the
unknown.

What kind of curse?

What would it be supposed to do?

That's a really good question. I don't
know what type of curse either.

You get to choose or they just do
something bad and then you find out what

going to be.

I don't know. I mean, and will anyone
curse me? Because I'm guessing it's

probably a first for people I'm going to
speak to.

And then there's a question, well, how
much do I believe?

You want to believe. I'm a skeptic, but
you're the molder to my scully. You want

to believe.

I do.

So when I moved to the U .S., I pretty
much came here with two suitcases, one

with clothes and one with this case of
memories, basically full of old

photographs that I have of me and my
rock climbing days.

What really got me was finding this.

I got this book when I was around 10 or
11 years old, and I was obsessed with

this. It's called The Unexplained,
Mysteries of the Mind, Science, and

Time. It has all sorts of things in it
from the history of Stonehenge, even

of the UFO stuff is being talked about
in Congress right now, so it's a real

topic. But what really excited me and
really captured my imagination when I

a kid was this, In Search of the Sixth
Sense, ESP, Extrasensory Powers.

To me, this was magic.

I see references to Dr.

Ryan of the Ryan Research Center.

And what's wild for me is that in just a
few weeks, I'm going to be going to the

research center myself.

And I don't know that 10 -year -old me
could have ever imagined that I'd be

doing this.

So I think the fact that I saved this
book as one of my most important

from when I was a child says something
about me and I guess why I'm doing any

this at all.

It may sound surprising, but this
sprawling city of angels is considered

the best cities in the country to be a
witch.

With many practicing covens, healers,
tarot readers, and magical stores for

all manner of witchy supplies.

And I've made contact with the well
-known coven here in the hope that they

introduce me to their world of magic.

So tell me, what is this space and where
are we?

This is our temple up here. This is
where we do our rituals.

And it is also, it has to double as a
classroom because of the space that we

have in this. Actually, it's a good
space for that. This is probably going

sound crazy.

I am interested in finding a curse, dark
magic, a heck.

To put on myself.

So you're looking... To curse himself.

To be cursed.

We could curse you with stupidity, but
we think you've got that down.

Well, because that's a dangerous idea.

I mean, once something like that hits
you, undoing it could take a lot more

you think. And sometimes when you're in
the throes of something like that, you

don't even realize that you are. You're
pulling into action a spirit that's

going to stalk you.

Why did you choose that as the thing
that you want to see manifest? Do you

like that's...

The only real magic?

Do you feel like that's the strongest
way to experience magic?

I think it's that. I think it's the
strongest way to experience. Going into

this, maybe I wondered if magic was more
in the mind of the believer, and so

therefore I felt that maybe it wouldn't
affect me if I personally didn't believe

in it.

Well, the problem is, just from our
conversations today, I mean, we're

conversation, and you're getting a
different perspective.

Reality, this is exciting to get more
windows and doors in it.

to where a year from now you may be
dealing with a curse and you're

engaged in that universe.

You completely have a sense of it's
real.

And then it can really take you down.

Well, I've certainly got a lot to think
about before I go further on this

journey. But I would love to see what
your spellcrafting looks like. Could we

perhaps do something that can help me on
my journey to find magic in some way?

I mean, magic in some way is to say to
open a spirit for the encounter of

And that we can do.

Preferably without you having to be
cursed.

Yes, seriously, do it.

You suddenly become a doorway into the
realm of magic, you could get in

Well, basically we're going to do a
witch's letter. And this is your witch's

letter, so I'm going to ask you to
participate.

Okay. I'm going to ask you to get a very
clear idea of that state of wonder, a

changing reality that suddenly opens its
doors to you. And at the end, I'm

probably going to ask you to then dump
your breath into the last knot.

Okay. Okay?

There we go.

This cauldron of witchery is consecrated
to the old way.

We shall embark upon Athabel.

I conjure by the nod of one, to begin
the witch's ladder, our work be done.

I conjure by the nod of two, that it
gets its mark and strikes true.

Witch -wise, starting up.

It's a good sign for work.

Conjure by the knot of three, as we show
will.

Conjure by the knot of four. Yes.

To open wide the flaming wheel. Conjure
by the knot of five.

That spell shall live.

Conjure by the knot of six. Conjure by
the knot of seven. That is a spell in

stars. It be written on earth that it is
in heaven.

Conjure by the knot of eight. Let it be
fulfilled by the hand of fate.

The conjurer by the nod of mine, this
spell is mine, this spell is mine.

By witch's breath thou will shall be, by
witch's breath thou will shall be, and

through the flames I set you free.

It's done.

Done. It's a short spell.

There are many forms of witchcraft. In
actual fact, if you have a room full of

witches, you're probably going to have
more opinions than the number of people

in a room because everybody has a very
personal approach to it.

My understanding of witchcraft, a
commonality that we share, is that we

a relationship with the invisible world,
with the realms of spirit, and that

would include the realms of divine
spirits, how the people would call the

We're all working outside of the
construct of organized religion.

So we're not mediating to spirit through
priesthood, we're having our own

personal direct relationship, which
effectively means we're heretics.

If witchcraft is to be believed, the
witch's ladder spell will open doors for

to experience an encounter with magic.

And despite the warnings, I still have
my sights set on finding a curse.

So I'm heading to a city famous.

for its history of voodoo.

Celebrated for its festivals and
nightlife, New Orleans is just as well

for its long association with magic.

And I'm hoping I've come to the right
place in search of a curse.

But it's hard to separate the myths of
voodoo from its authentic practice.

So first, I'm seeking out an expert to
find out just what is voodoo.

That's the question, right? What does
voodoo mean?

And some people say it means spirit or
divinity, deity.

We have a concept called ashe, which is
the divine, sacred energy of things.

Everything has ashe. The chair has ashe.
The crossroads as a space has ashe. And

we celebrate the ashe in ourselves and
also outside in the wild world where we

find it. To me, that's what voodoo
really is. It's sort of an understanding

everything is interconnected.

Too many misconceptions about voodoo. I
mean, I think people hopefully are

coming to terms with things like, you
know, that it's not all negative, that

it's bad, that it's dark. I think people
understand that voodoo dolls aren't

really a thing. They understand that
zombies aren't really a thing.

On the other hand, it also does have
things that are very centered on curses

hexes and what people would think of as
negative magic.

But what I say to people is, if you knew
your partner or your child was getting

hurt, would you retaliate? Would you
just sit there and do nothing?

You know, you're going to try and resist
and stop them from getting hurt with

whatever you have at your disposal.

And we have this very powerful magic.

Witchcraft, like all religions, is
complex and oftentimes contradictory.

And I now know curses are practiced in
this tradition.

So I've reached out to a well -known
voodoo priest in the hope that they

be receptive to my search for dark
magic.

Greetings, welcome.

Thank you.

Wash your hands for me and come on in.

Okay, absolutely.

It's a bit of a blessing. Thank you.

And a slick way to get some sanitizer on
you. And welcome to the house of the

divine friend. Thank you so much.

This is my sacred space.

This is my ministry room, if you will.
You see Santeria in this room. You see

Lukumi in this room.

You see Ifa in this room. And certainly
you see Voodoo present in this room.

One piece that I've noticed is this
piece down here.

Can you tell me a little bit about that?
You need to be careful with that.

Stand up.

Okay. This is a spirit devil. It's a
warrior, if you will. So he handles all

bad things that I can't do in the spirit
realm. And each of those nails

represent a successful mission for which
this deity has operated in. This piece

has done some powerful things for me.

And so I keep people away from it.

Can you tell me the sorts of things that
people come to you looking for? They

look to be blessed. They look to be
cleansed. They look to be protected.

I channel the ancestors.

I channel Loa, Arisha, deities.

And certainly I need the head of the
client to be active in the ritual.

So I can't do something to you, you
know, that you're not willing to accept.

This might sound an unusual request, but
I'm interested in finding a curse, a

hex in some way.

Not to visually prove anything on
camera, but personally prove to myself

can experience something.

Makes no sense to me at all.

You're looking for a curse to validate
what?

And so a positive thing, a blessing.

A miraculous thing won't do that for
you. It has to be a curse.

A positive thing feels like it could
just be something that happens on day to

day, whereas something more like a curse
might be more out of the unusual and

something that would validate for my own
personal belief.

As a black man in America, I feel the
exact opposite.

I deal with the curse every day. I go
through hell every day.

People are calling me and contacting me
for help who are...

cursed every day the norm is to be
cursed and so it sounds

without being disrespectful almost
entitled it's a good point

and i don't mean to make light of it at
all i feel like i'm looking for

something harsh so that it can grab my
attention and give me some

understanding of what it is that may be
beyond this materialistic world

I can't tell you how dangerous that is.

And what you're opening yourself up to,
losing everything.

Oh my, I'm about to sound like an
evangelical Christian.

You're literally begging the devil to
knock on your door just to prove to you

that God's real.

There are rules to our universe. And
even before it comes out of our mouth,

got to be in our consciousness.

So the universe has already heard your
request.

The position that you see the world from
is not something it's very easy for me

to be able to see. We need to experience
things for ourselves.

And that's what I'm doing. I'm looking
for a personal experience.

My fear at this point is that the wheels
are in motion.

Because it doesn't matter what you tell
me, you've already released that. And I

can only accept that you...

Absolutely believe what you're saying.

Scarcely.

A curse could end your life. Then what
are you proving?

I'm dead now, but wow, now I know that
there's something really beyond this.

Oof.

Y 'all better not call me at 2 o 'clock
in the morning talking about this man is

dead. I don't want to hear that.

I don't want to hear that.

We're having a tough, little bit of a
tough time out here.

I'm struggling to convince anyone of my

meaning and my intention.

What's happening when you talk to them?

Well, there's been a lot of pushback in
terms of, you know, making me consider

how much more fortunate I am than a lot
of other people in the world.

Yeah, I mean, I guess I can get why if
you just, you know, say it's like a

personal journey.

The journey I'm on does kind of sound
like buzzwords to people, you know? I

think I need to find a better way to
articulate why it's important to me.

Because it is sincere.

And I think that if I go out there and
say, hey, I'm looking for a blessing,

I walk down the street and I find a $10
note, I feel like that won't change my

mind, won't be the validation that I'm
looking for.

Are you nervous at all that if you do
find someone who's willing to curse you,

like, what that will actually be like?

You know, I don't know what.

to believe about any of this stuff
anymore.

I think at the beginning of this, maybe
I was more skeptical as the days have

gone on.

I'm not sure what I think anymore.

Should I really be concerned about being
cursed?

And is there any actual evidence that
magic could be real?

Thankfully, there are those who are
studying the science of this phenomena.

Founded 50 years ago by Apollo 14
astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell, the

Noetic Sciences is one of the leading
centers for the investigation into the

power of human consciousness.

What we study are exceptional
experiences. That's our euphemism.

But that means mystical experience,
psychic experience, and other kinds of

transformative experiences.

What are the goals of the Institute of
Noetic Sciences?

We have a working hypothesis that all
minds are interconnected.

And so part of the goal is to test ideas
that would either confirm or deny that

hypothesis.

Mostly we end up confirming it.

And of course, this is part of the
esoteric traditions that go back as far

humanity goes.

And we're trying to apply the tools of
science to better understand what

apparently the ancients knew quite well.

So I'm particularly interested in the
idea of force of will magic.

And does thought intention really affect
the world around us? So in the

laboratory... That kind of experiment is
thought about as a mind -matter

interaction.

Is the mind able to change something
that is physically measurable at a

distance?

Well, the answer is yes.

The largest single class of studies
involves random physical

systems. We're talking about electronic
random number generators.

So you ask somebody, while the bits are
being created,

to simply will more ones to come up or
more zeros to come up. And so after 50

or more years of doing experiments as
part of a laboratory test, that works.

So we take all of that and we then
address the question of, well, does

will work?

In the real world, I would say the
affirmations, magic spells and all the

they do work, but usually they don't
work at anywhere near the same speed.

as what we see in the laboratory.

Traditional witchcraft practitioners
believe their spell crafting can affect

world around us.

And now scientists are finding evidence
that the human mind can affect digital

systems in the lab.

One of the largest experiments on the
subject was conducted by the Global

Consciousness Project.

The group placed random number
generators around densely populated

if the thoughts and emotions of large
groups of people could skew the

readings away from a 50 -50 chance of
being a 1 or a 0, especially during

major world events.

The data recorded on these machines
around the events of September 11th

significant deviations that for many
suggest evidence of a unified field of

human consciousness.

I've asked magical practitioners if they
would in some way give me a negative

spell or that could be a curse or a hex.

What's the likelihood from some of your
experience that whether I believe or not

I could still be affected in some way?

You could still be affected purely for
psychological reasons.

That once your unconscious has the
notion that somebody's putting a curse

you, it could do serious damage.

And that can push your physiology. It
can do all kinds of interesting things.

And if I found somebody who did want the
harm using this method, I would walk

away fast.

Because what else are they thinking?

I just don't want to be around people
like that.

My search for dark magic in New Orleans
isn't over yet.

I've made contact with a practitioner
who actively practices negative magic

what he sees are many legitimate
reasons.

Hi, Elias. Hello. Good to meet you. Good
to meet you too. Yeah, absolutely.

Wow, this story is incredible.

Thank you. New Orleans is known very
much for voodoo, but what...

Is your practice?

I practice hoodoo and witchcraft. I have
a couple of other associations to other

traditions, but people call me all types
of things. They call me conjureman.

They call me a witch.

They call me a magician.

They call me a priest.

To me, it's the same thing.

I'm interested in finding out about the
world of curses.

Sure, we could definitely have a
conversation about curses.

All right, where do we start?

We start right now with the reading.
Okay, great. Let's do it.

Why a curse and not something else?

It's hard to explain.

I feel like I want to push the
boundaries of my own experience as far

take them.

Does that make sense in terms of...

Do practitioners such as yourself, do
you push boundaries for your own

experience? Yeah, I do understand it. I
think that you're making agreements.

You're saying in exchange for more
knowledge and insight of these esoteric

spiritual concepts, I'm willing to put
myself in the face of danger, which to

is partly brave, partly stupid.

That's kind of like the best.

Best things in life kind of come from
that kind of mix of stepping out without

feeling like you fully have a net.

So tarot cards are just a tool.

Really what I'm doing is speaking to
spirit.

I'm asking specifically about any work
that we may do, how that would affect

you.

So wherever the magician card comes up
in the reading is where magic enters the

picture, where magic enters the chat,
right?

So anyone who has eyes to see and
understands even a little bit of art can

how the colors change a little bit here
and how the mood has changed after the

work is done.

So we're going from the magician card to
the three of pentacles, the hangman,

and then the shadow self. It looks like
you have a relatively positive life.

It looks like you have a lot of love and
a lot of opportunity.

You are going to cause a little bit of
damage to that.

You'll get what you want, though.

You'll get an experience, and you'll get
your questions answered.

You'll be represented as the emperor
moving forward.

What I see is transformation, your idea
of yourself changing, but I think the

crux of what the cards are saying,
you're opening a door that you are

consciously saying you want to be
negative, down a negative path, to

what's behind it, and you're going to
find that, and it's going to have

detrimental effects on things that are
already positive around you. Right.

And I'm sorry, but that's what this...
Yeah, that's what the cards say.

With the cards as they are right now,
and if I would still like to move ahead

with the casting, are you still open to
the idea of doing it?

Yeah.

But now it's more into painting.

So today we're going to be doing
creation of a charm to be effectively a

We're going to be first tying you to one
of these coffin nails.

So some of your hair, we're going to tie
it to the coffin nail. This should slow

you down a little bit, making it more
difficult for you to accomplish things

that you hope to accomplish, and then
repelling people who could otherwise be

assistance to you away from you.

So, that was fun? Okay. Yeah, let's do
it. Let's do it. Okay.

Ancestors, those who sacrifice, bless
what intends for our very existence, I

calling you. We are asking you to be
here with us. We are asking for your

your wisdom, your direction, your
insight in our lives. Yet again,

Those who sacrifice blood, sweat, and
tears for our very existence, we are

calling you. We are asking you to be
here with us.

Nothing to worry about.

Don't scare you too bad yet.

But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt
not hearken unto the voice of the Lord

thy God, who observe.

to do all his commandments and his
statutes, which I command thee this day,

all these cursers shall come upon thee
and overtake thee.

The Lord shall smite thee with a
consumption and with a fever and with an

inflammation and with an extreme
burning, and they shall pursue thee

perish. And thou, well, we don't want
all that, do we?

The Lord shall make the rain of the land
powder and the dust from heaven shall

come down upon thee until thou be
destroyed.

The Lord shall smite thee in the knees
and in the legs.

Moreover, all these curses shall come
upon thee and shall pursue thee and

overtake thee till thou be destroyed.

He shall put forth a yoke of iron upon
thy neck until he have destroyed thee.

And so says he has asked for this.

In favor of his experience, his desire
to know and to learn and to grow in his

own spiritual practice, I ask that you
give this to him.

But you did ask for this. I did ask for
this, yes.

Even if you didn't wear this, it's still
connected to you.

And this is doom oil.

Doom oil is death unto my enemy.

It comes from a pot called an nganga.

And then Ganga's African necromancy.

So first comes nightmares, random
feelings of dread, confusion,

fogginess of the mind.

And then comes sickness, inability to
sleep.

And then comes loss.

You're going to have to catch it
somewhere along this process.

Before it gets too far.

And if you don't do what's required.

Everything that's spoken is what's
intended.

There you go.

So, we've done it.

Mm -hmm.

Feels heavier than I thought.

Wonderful. It's going to feel heavier
and heavier and heavier and heavier,

iron around your neck, like it was said.

If you really want to see if it works,
then don't take it off.

This is going to be fun.

How do you feel after doing this?

That must be quite seductive. It is.

But that's the power you're calling on.

The devil, right?

Quite seductive.

And now it's with you.

So a curse can happen to a person,
whether they believe it or even know

it, because the magic is affecting the
quality of spirit in their world.

If you don't have a strong sense of self
-identity, no strong sense of

personality, rather you simply follow
the energy around you as it presents,

it doesn't matter whether you believe in
it or not, you're going to feel that

quality of spirit that's being
manipulated around you, and it's going

you down a path that's going to be
negative.

I think there's a danger of doing
something that is harmful to you,

those around you who might not be
protected.

There are, as I said, there's evil
people, there's evil energies in the

universe. And if you're playing around
with that and you don't know what you're

doing, then you'd be lucky to make it
out alive.

So have you ever seen or experienced the
effects of dark magic?

Oh yeah, when they broke into my house.

One person.

I knew exactly who the person was.

While I'm gone, he pushes the air
conditioning in and breaks into my

But then he went to the altars. That was
the mistake.

And he stole very expensive liquor off
the altars, consecrated items off the

altars. I immediately called every elder
that I knew in town.

This isn't about retribution.

This isn't about my desire to want to do
some kind of dark magic.

I cannot protect him.

He violated my shrine.

I can't protect him.

You've got to get him to bring that
back.

Seven days later, he's dead.

Okay, Leon, you can hear me?

Great.

You can go ahead and open the shutter.

For the last few months, I've heard from
those who practice magic.

Now I'm meeting with parapsychologists
whose research into mind over matter

includes the study of spiritual healers.

I want to know how might spiritual
healing occur and should I be worried

the opposite, dark magic.

After all, I'm now officially a cursed
man.

When I was a kid, My family was very
open to the type of phenomena that we

here, different sorts of healing. My
mother was a healer. It was a family

of thing.

And then when I was in my 20s, I found
out the Ryan Research Center existed.

It was a place where they had
scientifically studied ESP, PK, and

phenomena that I was interested in.

Well, a lot of years later, in 2009, I
joined a research team and started

working here.

When people think of the term
parapsychology, they think of a lot of

things. Many people think of Bigfoot or
Loch Ness Monster or, you know, chasing

down UFOs. Those are very interesting
topics, but not what we study in

parapsychology.

Parapsychology is actually a science
that studies five very specific

One being telepathy, mind -to -mind
communication.

Another, clairvoyance, getting
information about objects or events that

hidden. Third area is precognition,
getting information through time.

We group them together and call them ESP
or extrasensory perception.

In addition to ESP, we also study
psychokinesis, mind -matter interaction.

The fifth area is survival studies.

Survival studies includes everything
from near -death experiences, out -of

experiences, past lives, or
reincarnation. So those are the five

parapsychologists study.

This is a photo multiplier, too, that
measures really low levels of light.

People naturally produce very low levels
of light in the ultraviolet range.

And so what we're looking for in here is
to see if when people are doing

healing, meditation, martial arts, or
any sort of psi activity, whether

any change in the light level from them.
And so that's what this machine is

designed to do.

We take people who say they're healers.
We don't test to make sure they're

healers. People do that in other labs.
People who do medical work are doing

that. What we do here is we're trying to
say, what is the mechanism behind

healing? All right, Liam, we've got a
great baseline.

Do you want to go ahead and start your
meditation now?

So you can see we started the active
session, and we had one spike that went

to 12 from the baseline, which was under
7 beforehand.

We just had one spike that went up to
12. That's a nice difference, but we'd

like to see a little bit more than just
one. So we'd like to see if we get any

more of those throughout the active
session here.

The baseline is typically about 12 to 20
photons a second.

We see that number jump up to 80.

It's four times the baseline.

Statistically, very large.

But we also see people go into the
hundreds, into the thousands.

You don't need statistics to figure this
out. There's something unusual going on

in the lab there.

Well, it was pretty much a flat baseline
throughout.

Okay. But there was a slight variation.

And if you look at the graph over here,
you can see as soon as you started, we

saw this jump.

up to 11 or 12.

Now, normally we would want to see
multiple jumps like this. So I wouldn't

consider this a really strong
indication, but it's a start.

If this bioenergy, if this ultraviolet
light that comes from people is being

used as a carrier wave to transfer
information between people and allow

to occur in another person, perhaps
that's what we're finding in our lab.

This is where we are right now looking
at healing in the field of

parapsychology.

If people have this ability to heal, do
you think that people have the ability

to do the opposite of that and put a
curse on someone, for example, and make

them ill?

I don't understand. Why would you let
someone hurt you purposely?

Anyone who is able to affect someone in
a healthy way may also be able to affect

them in a negative way as well and hurt
their health.

No one wants to put themselves in harm's
way. Why would you actually let someone

do that? That would be a dangerous
thing.

I know you have something else in mind
here. Yeah.

Well, you know, I'll put the cards on
the table now. I have been around people

who have suggested they have that
ability. Of course. And I have.

I'll have them potentially do that to
me.

Okay.

How you feeling?

I'm in the middle of that right now.

Okay.

If you need some help, let me know.

I'm not kidding.

Several weeks after Elias put a curse on
me and I started to get some pretty

unsettling dreams, the most recent
really shook me up and left me feeling

anxious all day.

I think I need to get some advice on the
dangers of what I'm potentially doing

to my psyche.

I noticed you're not wearing the curse
around your neck right now.

So I was told that it's at its strongest
when I'm wearing it around my neck. But

either way, it's attached to me and
doing its work regardless.

Within about three to four weeks of
going through that experience, I did

to have some very bad dreams.

more violent, more sinister.

I had a dream in which I was being held
captive or something was going to

was going to torture

my cat and make me watch it.

The only way to stop this from happening
would be if I had

tried to put my cat to sleep to stop him
suffering.

And that dream really, really got to me.

I'll bet.

Yeah.

That was one of the moments,
particularly when I felt maybe this

is getting to me.

For me, seeking out something like
They're seeking out curses. What are the

potential psychological dangers for me?

Well, I think some of them you've
experienced already.

Anxiety and some fear that's come up. I
think those are natural, normal

suggestions.

They bypass the rational mind.

They go right to the subconscious,
bypass the rational mind, and then they

influence not only your expectations and
your perceptions, but your behaviors

without you being aware of it.

In my estimation, the danger is that
then it just takes over and everything

becomes a negative. Everything becomes a
problem.

And what you did was you went out and
said, I'm going to lean into the

right now.

And so how far do you take that? At what
point is there enough anxiety for you,

enough bad dreams for you, enough things
for you to make a choice to lean into

the positive?

As upsetting as they may have been, I
don't think my violent nightmares are

enough to convince me of the existence
of magic just yet.

So I've decided to go further.

I'm seeking out another curse from a
place known for some of the oldest

teachings of magic in the world.

Perhaps this is tempting fate, but I
keep my curse with me as I travel to a

place known as the Land of Black Magic.

I'm traveling to the village of Mayang
in the very northeast of India.

Perched on the banks of the vast
Brahmaputra river, Mayang's traditional

life shrouds its rich history of magic,
witchcraft, and even human sacrifice.

Its unbroken lineage of magical
teachings have passed on through the

for hundreds of years.

Today, It's illegal to perform dark
magic, and the practices are shrouded in

secrecy.

Luckily, I have an old friend who's a
seasoned journalist here in India, and

he's agreed to help me find some of
India's elusive magic practitioners.

Mayang is not a small place. It must be
maybe in the 50, 60, 70 square

kilometers area.

And Muang is pretty much the epicenter
of all black magic in

this country.

So this place where we are at here today
is a temple which has been around here

for hundreds of years now.

And it's a primary location where people
come to cleanse themselves of any black

magic that's been carried out on them.
How difficult is it going to be to see

some black magic practice for ourselves?

It's banned by Indian law. It's very
difficult. People are very scared to

talk about it. Forget, begin showing
you.

It's not going to be an easy task.

The practitioner here, he helps remove
the black magic on you. So if somebody

may cast a spell on you, he removes all
of those spirits. He says he'll be able

to clean that out for you.

Tara Baba is one of India's mystical
tantric practitioners who are said to

the ability to weave together both our
physical and supernatural worlds.

I'm hoping to learn more about the power
of this ancient practice before I seek

out a dark magic experience.

There are a lot of wild animals here.

This is a tiger, this is a bull, and I
don't know, there are thousands of

forests. There are snakes.

There are a lot of big snakes here. They
come here and sit here from time to

time. All animals are my friends. They
are your friends.

In our Hindu, there are three mantras.

Tantra, mantra, yantra.

And I have the knowledge of all three.

If someone does tantra,

So this is possession of a jinn.

I'm shaken by the theme of a real life
exorcism.

Whether or not it's evil spirit or
simply belief through the power of

suggestion, either way, I'm reminded
just how fragile and susceptible our

can be to these dangers, especially if
we go looking for them.

The spiritual practice of Tantra is of
course much more than witchcraft.

First recorded in the 6th century, Its
teachings suggest everything in this

material world is interconnected and
infused with divine feminine power.

My obsession with finding dark magic
seems aligned with an important tantric

principle that by actively engaging with
our spiritual obstacles such as desire

and fear we can learn to overcome them
and become interwoven physically and

spiritually. with all that surrounds us.

Tonight is an important Hindu festival,
and at temples across the country, there

will be large celebrations in honor of
Lord Ganesha.

It's an important opportunity to find
some local magic practitioners.

To help me navigate the festival, I'm
meeting with local guide and wildlife

photographer, Champak.

As the evening celebrations get
underway, our team makes an important

with this secretive tantric who agreed
to perform a dark magic ritual.

but only in the remote jungle.

The local tantrics have advised us not
to venture into the wild with this

unknown practitioner.

But my time here is running short, and
I'm determined to experience a dark

ritual for myself.

So basically, I'm worried about the
safety issues first because we don't

about him as we already spoke about it.
He was speaking about the goddess

Chinnamasta. So she is the goddess of
black magic. Right. And you don't know

dangerous she is. She might just slit
off your head if she is angry. Okay.

yours, and I...

Will not be able to do anything.

It's like, whoa.

That's what he said. Yeah, that's what
he said.

Will there be weapons?

Oh, of course there'll be weapons
because they use swords.

Definitely they'll be there.

I guess that's new information.

The path is really, you know, dangerous
and full of wild animals.

And also the ceremony he does, like the
prayers he does, is always at... At

night. Then we can't come back down?

No. Seems very isolated.

Very isolated in the jungle. And he was
talking about all the, you know,

encounters with deities and dangerous,
you know, demons, spirits and all,

right? Right.

So we don't know.

Right. I guess we sleep on it and just
see what we can do because I don't want

to go home and not get it, but I'm
certainly not going to put anyone at

Yeah. Yeah.

India's spiritual devotees awaken early
to begin their daily prayers.

It's the place where both life and death
is celebrated.

This is our final day here, our last
chance to find authentic magic.

So despite the warnings, my crew and I
have decided to meet the tantric,

to take us to his place of spiritual
practice, deep in the jungle mountain.

With packed supplies, we begin the mile
and a half ascent to a cave where he

will call upon his goddess, Chinnamasta.

It seems fitting that my journey to find
light from the dark has led me to

Chinnamatta, the goddess of both life
and death, of destruction

and recreation, the goddess of
contradictions.

As we near our destination, we cross a
ring of brush fires.

I'm told they won't burn much past the
dry leaves.

Maybe it's just the curse already
attached to me.

But I can't help but feel that our
options for escape are being choked off.

The tantrics prepare the sacred space
with offerings to the gods as we await.

nightfall.

Tonight, the tantric here is going to
try and invoke the spirit of

Yes. And that spirit is going to judge
upon us.

Right. After sunset, he will do his
work.

According to him, Ma may appear here or
Ma may talk with us.

What happens? I don't know, but let's
see.

As the night finally draws closer, The
Tantric focuses his mind ready for

tonight's ritual.

Before I have a chance to question the
choices that have led me here, I'm

summoned into the sacred space.

Never before has my fate been so
literally in the

hands of the God.

Close your eyes.

Remember God with your heart.

God will talk to you here.

Ma! Ma!

You're good.

You're relaxed.

I relax this body?

Yes.

You're relaxed.

I'm not sure what I was expecting.

Perhaps the goddess herself would rise
from the flames.

But real magic isn't. They'd show trick.

How much feel this body?

I feel good. I feel strong.

Strong? Yes.

Very strong?

Yes, I do.

There have been times in my life when I
found clues that we may all be connected

universally and spiritually in a way
that's hard to intellectually define.

I'm starting to realize that my search
isn't for a curve.

I'm looking for a door, for a gateway to
the divine, something that

I've experienced before.

There was one big event in my life. I
had a big climbing accident.

Yeah, I know you told me about that
before.

So I was climbing a big route back home
in the UK.

I got right to the top, and then my foot
got stuck in the rock.

I realized I hadn't placed enough gear
in the rock as I went up.

What that means is I would probably hit
the ground if I fell off. It was terror,

absolute terror, because I had to get my
foot out of the rock that was stuck.

And the minute my foot came out, my hand
came away.

And I fell.

I just remember putting my hands over my
eyes. I just remember thinking, I'm

going to die and I just don't want to
see it when it happens.

This is where it gets strange.

I went from the most fear I've ever had
in my life

to feeling an incredible, incredible

sense of bliss.

I felt so...

at peace in a way that was just
incredible just it it to this day it

no sense by luck i didn't hit the ground
and i was like i'm alive

i felt like i touched something that
wasn't on our

normal natural level and i don't know
what that is i don't know what it was

it it bugs me it bugs me that It makes
me feel like there's stuff I don't

understand or I'm not prepared to look
into. I know this won't make sense to

most people. Like, why would you do
this?

I almost want to experience the darkness
to know that there is a light.

And I think that's what I'm looking for.

I now know that if I want to prove to
myself that my climbing fall experience

was real, I can't be afraid to put
myself in danger. So I'm seeking out the

dangerous magic I can find.

I've come to Catamaco in southern
Mexico, a beautiful and deeply spiritual

Ironically, it's most famous not for its
revered Catholic church, but as a mecca

for witchcraft.

The city's rich tradition of shamanism
dates back to the ancient Olmec

civilization, and it's still home to
many male and female witches known as

brujos and brujas.

Every year a festival is held along the
shores of Lake Catamaco, a gathering of

the area's many witchcraft
practitioners.

Crowds in their thousands will come to
see the spectacularly dressed shamans

parade through the city.

A celebration of their deeply respected
magical practice and history.

And for many visitors, it's a chance to
meet with the Brujos to seek out a

magical spell in search of better
health, fortune, or maybe something more

nefarious.

And of course, I'm here to meet one of
the Brujos.

still seeking a spiritual experience
through the power of dark magic.

Mi nombre es Juan Rosario Toto, mayor
conocido como el hermano Juan.

Mi oficio es ser chamán y sacerdote
negro, que es brujo.

Cuando el paciente viene entrando al
consultorio, ya sabemos qué trae de

problema.

Más bien somos como adivino, porque lo
traemos de sangre, de genes.

Es un don que traemos, sabemos
visualizar bien.

the moment that the person is going
through.

It's like driving a white line. All the
amulets, everything that is of light,

that is a shaman.

The black priest is because we have
already mixed the sanatism, the dark

rituals.

I suffered from alcoholism from the age
of 13 to 17, 18 years, more or less.

Yo elegí a él a mis 17 años en mi vida
personal porque a mí me sacó de

una adicción que yo padecía, que era
alcoholismo.

Le pedí mucho a él y me llegó el momento
que dejé de beber.

Para mí fue mi Dios, o ha sido mi Dios,
y mi creencia, ¿no?

Pero él es un ángel también, de
oscuridad, pero es un ángel.

Que ve por las necesidades del ser
humano también.

Hola. Hola, hola.

Tome asiento.

Bienvenido.

Igualmente, igualmente.

In the Christian religion, they say that
Satan is a negative and evil person.

Why is it that you feel that that's not
the case?

So I'm looking for something of an
unusual request. I'm looking for someone

put a curse on me.

Is that something that you could do?

What are the potential things that could
happen to me once I make this request?

Puede suceder desde un quebranto
económico, divorcio, accidentes, pero

lo que quieres vivir, yo te voy a guiar
y te voy a presentar con Satán para que

tú puedas pedir y que te cumpla lo que
deseas personalmente.

Muchas gracias.

I already have one curse attached to me,
but something in my gut is telling me

there's still more to experience.

So tonight, Juan has invited me to a
satanic black mass.

I'm told this is the first step in
making a pact with the devil.

Buenas noches a todos ustedes.

Bienvenidos.

Pero sobre todo no estamos aquí por
curiosidad.

Puedo sentir que a cada uno de ustedes
trae ciertas losas en su vida

personal.

Los problemas que nos acechan día a día.

Desde salud, problemas económicos,

Pero para eso estamos aquí, para eso nos
dimos cita hasta el día de hoy.

Señor Satan, Lucifer, te doy gracias.

En este momento abrimos este portal.

Pido humildemente para que escuches a
cada uno de los visitantes, porque

derecho de tener paz y felicidad y
abundancia.

Y así será.

Los invito a cada uno de ustedes a hacer
una purificación de cuerpo y alma y

espíritu.

En este momento, Señor Satán, todos tus
problemas se han desaparecido.

En este momento, Señor Satán, resuelve
todas las angustias y dolores en el

Oh, Señor Satán, que todo lo que llegue
en su vida se cumpla.

Presentamos a este hermano que viene de
tan lejos por un propósito.

Que tu propósito se cumpla.

Que así sea, hermano.

Que todo dolor sea quebrantado esta
noche.

No lo dejes todo, Señor de la oscuridad.

Oh, Señor Satán, no abandones este tu
discípulo.

Cúralos con tu poder.

Libera los de todo peligro.

Señor Lucifer, con tu fuego purifica.

Purificanos, Padre.

So tonight was pretty intense to see and
be a part of.

It's hard to talk about the emotion, the
sense of the feeling you get, the

energy level that you get when you're in
an environment like that.

The music, the smoke, the fire, the
drums, it's all building up inside of

and it creates a really powerful energy.

And I can see why that puts you in a
state of mind that could make you more

susceptible to believing.

Or some would argue that it puts you in
a state of mind more open to receive and

to connect with the spirit world.

So tonight, in theory, I opened up this
dialogue, this conversation with Satan.

But that's just the first part.

Tomorrow we're going to Satan's cave.

Juan says it's where he has a more
powerful and direct connection with the

spirit world.

And there I'm going to enter into a pact
with Satan to put this curse upon me.

I think how this one is different and
how the game has changed is that in this

scenario I have to write down exactly
what it is I want to occur.

So I'm not asking to test somebody
else's power. I'm actually requesting a

upon myself.

I'm entering a pact with Satan to
request the negative thing.

An illness, an injury, or even death?

I want to give this a serious attempt at
experiencing something supernatural.

But is it supernatural, or am I just
using my own mind against myself?

I have to think very carefully about
what I write in this pact.

What I'm requesting is so extreme that I
don't even want to share it with

anyone.

because there may be some very real
consequences to what I'm doing and

magical or psychological I guess I'll
have to wait and see

Vas a vivir una experiencia de quebranto
de tu vida que jamás la has vivido.

En este momento te presento ante el
Señor Satán para que pidas la

que quieres vivir.

Si pides un quebranto de tu vida, Él te
lo va a cumplir.

Esto es de mucha seriedad, de mucho
respeto.

Oh, mi Señor Satán, pido permiso.

Y aquí tu discípulo, escucha en este
momento su ruego de este

hermano, que ahora pertenece a ti por el
momento, no lo abandones.

¿Quieres sentir tu poder?

Él te sirve más vivo que muerto.

No lo abandones.

Te viene a pedir para vivir una
experiencia de su vida propia.

Es una ofrenda que él va a salir de su
corazón y él sabe lo que él te prometió.

Satan, this is my request to you and I
humbly offer it to you.

Bien. Que así sea, que así va a ser, mi
señor.

Que sus propósitos se cumplan de lo que
él quiere vivir.

Mi tatán.

Do you see a correlation or any
connection between the power of

magic? Certainly after being in Mexico
and making that request

on myself, I do wonder if that even took

the dreams up another level.

Certainly I feel the idea of me looking
over my shoulder and being more wary of

situations.

has definitely ramped up. The feeling
that maybe you just need to be a bit

cautious right now.

Do you regret having done it?

I genuinely have one big fear that I may
have

done some physical damage to myself.

We know that science has proved things
like the placebo and nocebo effect and

our minds can have physical effects on
our body when we believe.

My feelings about regret might be
different if I was to find out that my

results show up a problem that I didn't
have six months ago.

The mountain biking is definitely one of
my biggest passions in life.

There really is nothing like getting
down the trails, shredding, having fun.

And I've got to admit, since going to
New Orleans, getting a car, and then

coming out of the cave in Mexico, it's
put me off riding and that's been

me down. So I've decided to put that
behind me right now.

I've got to get out on the trails, have
some fun, and just stop thinking about

all that stuff, you know?

The hospital x -ray showed nothing was
broken, thankfully, but I had a pretty

deep cut that needed stitches.

The swelling to the knee was pretty
extensive and took five or six weeks to

and get myself walking properly again.

Even when I tried to get away from it,
my mind's haunted by curses.

Where your attention goes, your energy
flows.

and I fear I'm becoming a danger to
myself.

What is strange, though, is I checked
out the footage from Elias' curse, and

where he got specific shocked me.

The Lord shall smite thee in the knees
and in the legs.

Is magic real, and if so, where does it
come from?

Magic is the fact that you are an
animate creature existing currently

who is conscious enough to ask the
question.

That is magic. So, yes, magic is as real
as that.

It's not wrong to go out and seek
experiences.

There is value in it, but you have to be
careful.

Because all those things are true.

All those things are very, very true.

paranoid all the time even sitting in
traffic I keep thinking that every car

going to hit me every time the phone
rings I think that something bad has

happened and it's just this constant
sense of dread

maybe it's connected to my

lack of sleep but I have this physical
feeling that something bad is coming

How long do you want to remain the
cursed man?

I think I've had enough.

Was it the dreams where you said, I've
had enough, exactly?

Or was it the accident or the anxiety?

As the odd little things that are more
physical are happening, it's chipping

away at the armor of it's all in your
mind.

And I feel like if I don't try and maybe
undo this some way, whether or not

magic is real or not,

I might be finding and forming some real
negative habits.

So what has stopped you so far from
releasing yourself from them?

I don't know whether or not it's going
to be as easy to do as just that.

I think now I'm in a tricky position
where if I perhaps didn't

believe in magic and yet somehow it's
got into my subconscious.

that now I'm actually going to have to
believe in order to get myself out of

there.

Despite your warnings, I have found not
one, but

two people who were prepared to put a
curse on me.

See, this is why they wonder about us,
Bruce. They think we're crazy.

I can't imagine why.

And I feel like I'm getting a laundry
list of things that are starting to go

wrong. I have brought with me a couple
of clips from the things that have been

done to me.

We're going to be first tying you to one
of these coffin nails.

So some of your hair. The Lord shall
smite thee with a consumption and with a

fever. with an inflammation and with an
extreme burning, and they shall pursue

thee until thou perish.

The Lord shall smite thee in the knees
and in the legs,

and he shall put forth a yoke of iron
upon thy neck

until he hath destroyed thee.

Wow.

Damn, dude.

So that was about six months ago now,
and there's certainly been some things

happening to me.

Dude, it's not happening in your dreams?

Yeah. that I'm having pretty severe
nightmares now, actually.

You haven't lost any limbs or anything
since, though, right?

No.

About five, six weeks after that
happened to my knee,

I had to have stitches in the knee.

That's nasty. It doesn't stop at the
knee, though. It goes on.

If you don't cut this short, this can
get really bad. It's going to start to

very physical.

Perhaps I should have stopped there. I
found a brujo in Mexico who aligns his

work specifically with Satan.

He told me that I had to write down the
request, and I would petition that

request to Satan at a very special
place.

I did that. It was bound in blood.

Binding with blood doesn't make it easy
to undo.

Satan,

this is my request to you, and I humbly
offer it to you, and I thank you for it.

We marked it.

This one is something that you got
marked and you got, and you petitioned,

For a life, not just a curse, but this
is going to be your life from now on,

basically what I was hearing. The
problem here is you're approaching it

party trick, and so therefore that very
action is disrespectful.

And for that, you may get a slap or we
may have a fight on our hands. To be

honest, just so you know, going into
trying to undo this, you're going to

to find faith in this in order to undo
it. You're going to be the key to

it. Okay.

Okay, you ready? I am. All right, come
with me.

One is thine.

Three for thee.

Nine is mine.

One for the Lamb.

And one for you.

One for thine.

Three for thee, and nine is mine.

And as each person comes in, you're
going to give them one coin each.

Three for thee, and nine is mine.

We are

grouped

here together to close contracts for
Liam's legitimate reasons.

I think he was a fool.

But we're here to undo it.

I call upon my gods.

Hear the blood in my veins. Know the
oaths I have made on the ancient altars.

I call to the watchers. Black spirits
and white, red spirits and gray.

Mingle, mingle, mingle who may.

Tata -ta -ta -ta round and about.

A world within and a world without.

A world within and a world without.

The good stay in and the ill stay out.

Two curses have been placed upon Liam.

The first was made to be undone.

In the service of Liam, I now in this
moment

sever this curse.

Bow tight.

Unravel and clean.

Take it apart.

Shred it. Get it all broken up. Take the
fickle. Cut some threads. Cut the

fabric. Get it removed, severed.

Give blessing to the one that served
you.

Know that it has done its job.

Thank you for giving me this experience,
but I'm glad that it ended. This is

over, and it is done.

The next one is harder.

Covent red.

I call to you, fallen angel, the
contract now, he asks, be brought to

close.

The knowledge he has gleaned, he knows
to be true, and through this work that

is doing, he will share this knowledge
with the world. For this, he asks that

the recognition of this pact be
completed and laid down.

Look into the mirror.

And speak to that completion.

Do you know it to be true, Liam?

Yes, I know this to be true.

I recognize the power.

I have had enough.

You are ready.

I am ready. This is completely over. It
is done. I am finished with this.

Do you see that day that you were in
that cave and you made this pact?

Yes. Push.

Push.

You feel the pact?

Yes, I feel it. You see him before you.
I can see it, yes. I felt that energy.

Do you feel it now?

I can feel it, yes. Now sever them,
tethers.

Sever them one by one. Rip them to
shreds.

I have severed these tethers. I have
severed these bindings. With honor and

respect. With honor and respect.

Feel it, all that is bound in you. Now
be bound within that mirror.

Use your breath.

Again.

Roar!

Roar! Roar!

What's that?

Into it!

And seal!

Yes!

Done?

Done. Put it in.

Hands upon the rim of the cauldron.

That done.

There is no other contract.

Everything has been laid down. Now shred
this and put it in.

Contract is done.

All honor and respect. I return what you
gave me.

Which is, use your eyes.

Let the sight be true.

Ah, there it went.

It's done.

Everyone okay?

Done?

Done, done, and done.

Liam, stand up.

Head bowed, hands out.

And the root.

It's been six months since I got cursed.

Six months?

I've now been cleansed. How do you feel?

I'm feeling much better.

Really? Yeah.

I'm starting to sleep better.

That's good.

This is the one thing I think has been
weighing on my mind a little bit. I

finally got the results from my doctor's
checkup, my blood work, and I haven't

opened it yet.

I'm a little nervous right now. Are you
really?

Yeah.

Okay. So we screened for some cancers
that are in my family.

And the screenings are normal.

That's good.

So how do you feel?

I mean, honestly, that's a real relief.

You were right about that.

Yeah. I didn't know it was weighing on
you that much.

Yeah, you know, with the dreams and
everything, I suddenly felt scared of

what I might have done and what that
would mean for you and us.

I was beginning to worry that I might
have made a big mistake.

You're okay.

Yeah, it's all good.

Yay.

There's no...

Nothing bad.

Good.

I think magic is definitely real. I
don't know if it's quantifiable. That's

different thing. And then what are we
measuring it with?

demonstrable, it's effective.

In a way, I almost want to define it the
same way I would define culture, like

that complex whole that makes up a
person.

The root of magic is the ability to
wield free will. We use our free will to

bring about specific change in the
future through actions today.

So our relationship to divine spirits is
a lot more dynamic than most people

have in other religious systems.

Hay personas que piensan que la brujería
es mala.

Realmente visitar a un chamán es
reencontrarte con nuestros miedos.

¿Qué hacemos nosotros? Es liberar todo
eso.

De sus miedos, de sus pesadillas, de sus
obstáculos negativos. Es cuestión de fe

nada más. La fe va a contar mucho en el
ser humano para que su éxito... Can we

do what have we?

Done things that are pretty incredible,
absolutely.

But I don't have a magic wand. I'm not
going to fix your life overnight,

particularly if you're not invested.

They're not considering their role,
their accountability, their

in the life that's manifesting for them.

So what would I say to people who think
that it's evil? Go back and challenge

every thought that's been pushed on you
as a person.

Your mind is your reality, and so
whatever you decide to let in and what

decide to let go of will then shape the
world around you.

I went searching for the secrets of
magic, and I found that our minds shape

reality in ways that are perhaps still
beyond our understanding.

Maybe I just want to believe that that
kind of sounds like magic to me.

you