I've always loved forests - even as a metaphor - and stories about them, especially enchanted ones. I don't know why, but the sheer concept of »enchanted forest« just sounds somehow right to me. Maybe my subconscious knows a lot more about the real world than my conscious mind does. And "metaphors" may be just half-forgotten truths and facts about the essence of things.
Which is why I was somewhat surprised when I discovered a story about a »forest« I had never heard about: a stone forest in Peru – and »inexplicable« at that.
It's called Marcahuasi (or Markawasi, in the English transcription of the indigenous word), and apparently it is famous among the local population for offering strolls way beyond a normal hike in the woods...
(See here. BTW, does it remind you of anything...?)
But here is the story I wanted to share with you today, because it's directly related to the topic of »time slips«. I am quoting a part of it verbatim, as it was told to Scott Corrales by Raul Rios Centena:
"Several months ago, a patient came to see me about a serious case of hemiplegia. The patient claimed to be 30 years old but was unable to prove it, stating that she'd lost her formal identification card. It was a very strange case of hemiplegia, since upon examination with a CAT (Computerized Axial Tomography) scan, there were neither areas showing bleeding vessels nor any traumatic lesions.
When I began asking questions about the case, the patient told me the following: 'I was at a campground in the vicinity of the ancient stone forest, Markawasi, when I went out exploring late at night with some friends. Oddly enough, we heard the strains of music and noticed a small torch-lit stone cabin. I was able to see people dancing inside, but upon getting closer I felt a sudden sensation of cold which I paid little attention to, and I stuck my head through an open door. It was then that I saw the occupants were clad in 17th century fashion. I tried to enter the room, but one of my girlfriends pulled me out.'
The patient was tugged out by one of her friends, and her body became paralyzed in half precisely as she was drawn out of the 'stone cabin'. My conclusion is that the probable cause behind the hemiplegia is unknown. No medical test was able to ascertain its cause. Nonetheless, an EEG was able to show that the left hemisphere of the brain did not show signs of normal functioning, as well as an abnormal amount of electric waves.
Many Peruvians claim having had contact experiences in Markawasi, while many scholars indicate the existence of a dimensional doorway. No conclusive proof of this exists, of course. Some friends, myself, obviously, and others who have visited the stone forest can attest to the existence of a strange kind of energy. According to those persons having knowledge of this subject, dimensional doorways tend to open and close not necessarily in specific places. The patient is currently undergoing physical rehabilitation in Lima's Arzobispo Loayza National Hospital.
The unanswered question is, of course, what would have happened if her body had entered completely into the stone cabin? Would she have gone into another dimension? I suppose the truth shall be known in the fullness of time."
I suppose it shall. At this point, I have only one question: how did the subject know that the clothes were "in the 17th century fashion"? It's a very specialised piece of information. Of course she could be just that: a specialist, or at least a highly observant "lay" person with a lot of knowledge about the history of clothing. It's not unheard of.
Meanwhile, you can read the rest of the article here.
Here is another great website.
Or, if you prefer a full book, here's the one for you:
Or you can watch a video about it.
(It's just the text that I've quoted above - but the music is really nice. :))