Do you Believe in Witchcraft? (Naniniwala ka ba sa Kulam?) - My Near Death Experience (SWC)

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Do you believe in witchcraft? How about in sorcerers or witches or wizards?
Have you ever watched or read a book "Harry Potter"? Yes, the fantasy novels about witchcraft and wizardry. That is somehow related to my story here.

In my country, our ancestors and elders believes in ancient urban legends and superstitious beliefs. One of them is about a "Mangkukulam" or Witch. A person who casts spells (in Filipino, we call it "kulam") on their enemies for them to suffer in pain, making them to regret who they messed up with. A witch or mangkukulam was said to use a black magic, rituals, spells and potions.

At first, I really don't believe in supernatural stories or in anything that doesn't have Scientific basis (God and the Bible is an exception). I don't believe in supernatural creatures, ghosts and anything like that. For me, those are just created by our imaginative minds. I really don't until this weird thing happened to me....

September 23, 2016 - We just had celebrated my son's birthday, he turned 4. A few weeks passed, he happened to have a flu. It is just an ordinary flu (some old folks says it happens whenever you grow old, they call it "lagnat-laki" ). When one of my kids are sick, I always want to be there beside them and take care of them. I want to spend all of my time for them so I decided not to do my home-based job for that week. When my son's fever rises and his nose bleeds, I hurriedly brought him to the nearest clinic, Since I didn't work that entire week, I don't have any salary to withdraw in my ATM. I am totally broke that day so I decided to just borrow money from one of my sisters to pay for the doctor's fee and the laboratory exams. Afterwards, the doctor prescribed him some medicines to take. Then, I decided to borrow money again from one of my sisters (another sister, I have 3 sisters) to buy his medicines.

Later that day, I left my son at home to buy his medicine. I promised him that I will be back soon and have his medicines with me when I returned. I promised him that he will get well soon as he take that medicine. So I hurriedly went to the nearest drugstore. It is kilometers away from our house so I need to take a ride. It is a generic drugstore without any doors for customers to walk-in. It just has windows and grills where customers just stand upfront to buy medicines. When I get there, I only have an exact money in my coin purse (which I borrowed from my sisters) for the medicines and for the fare. In the drugstore, while buying my son's medicine, an old person (I really can't distinguish if he's a man or a woman because his face is black all covered with grease) approaches me.

She (let's just say, she's is a woman) is an old beggar, wearing torn clothes, walking barefoot, his body and face is black, covered with grease and dust and dirt. I think she's around 70 or 80, I can tell because of the lines on her face and hands. She is laughing. For that, I can tell she has only few teeth left in her mouth. Her eyes are red, big and wide. Her hair is short, messy and frizzy. I really can remember she's holding a pack of cigarette in her hand while there's a lit stick of cigar in between her two fingers. She looks miserable. Singing and laughing and talking by herself.

So, she approaches me by saying "Give me your coins!" showing her dirty palm to me ("Pengeng barya!") in a bossy or command manner. She never used please or beg for it. She just repeat it louder and louder. "Give me coins!" Another woman standing beside me who's buying a medicine too got afraid on her so she hurriedly took the medicines she bought and ran away while saying "You're scaring away the customers here!" ("Ano ba yan! nananakot ka ng customer dito"). I was still standing there, waiting for the pharmacist to give me the medicine that I bought. The old woman keeps yelling at me, saying "Give me your money!" I stepped back but she stepped forward. I told her, "I'm sorry, I only have exact money in my coin purse, I don't have any spare money left" ("pasensya na po, wala na po akong natitirang barya") Her face seems mad like she doesn't believe or heard what I said. She pointed on my coin purse, yelling "Give me money!" I think she saw my left coins there (that I intended to left there for my ride home) I shook my head. As I refused to give her my left coins, her red eyes gazed at me like eyes of a mad tiger. (I came to think of giving her the only coins that I've got but I told myself, I need those coins, I needed to get a ride home soon, my son is waiting for me) So, I still shook my head. She then slapped my shoulder. By then, an old fat man arrived to buy medicines too. He yelled at her to drive her away. "Hey!!! Go away!!" ("Hoy!! Alis! Alis ka dito!") The old woman then walked away laughing while speaking words which I can't identify the language. The man saw my shoulder turns red. He asked if I'm okay. I told him I'm fine (though the slap really hurts). He said that women uses illegal drugs (rugby or solvent) and maybe she gets insane from overusing it ("adik kasi yan kaya siguro wala na sa sarili"). So, I went home and give my son his medicines. My son went well and I felt relieved.

The next day, when I woke up, when I look at the mirror as I wash my face, I saw a red mark on my shoulder. It is round and reddish inside with white ring outside. I thought it is a ringworm. So I put some topical cream on it.

A day after that, while eating lunch, my mom asked me, "What's that on your arms?" I told her, "Maybe just a ringworm, just ignore it." ("Baka buni lang, wag muna lang pansinin") I thought she was referring to the one on my shoulder that I saw the day before. But when I look at what she's pointing out, I was surprised! the reddish thing became too many!! I can't even count it. It spreads on both of my arms!! I decided to use a sulfur soap and add more cream on it.

The next day, when I turn off my clothes to take a bath. I was shocked!! The reddish thing spreads more!! It is all over my body now!! Later then I did an online research on how to put some home remedies on it. I tried aloe vera sap ( we have the aloe plant in your back yard). I put aloe vera gel every time after taking a bath for a few days. But still nothing happens. It continues to grow and spread.

Few days later, the red thing grows bigger and spreads all over my body and even in my face and scalp!! It is really itchy and it is flaky. It looks like a burn from a cigarette. (My mom told me, in their province, they call it "paso-paso" kasi mukhang pinaso ng sigarilyo) And when I scratch it, there's some flakes fell off from it and when I sweep it on the floor, they look like ashes. My body looks burnt. It is like I'm alive but like a corpse my body is decaying. I came up to a point that I can't even hug or kiss my kids because I'm afraid that they will get it too from me. I wear long sleeves and pajamas all the time even if the weather is hot. It makes me take a bath three times a day to relieve the itchiness. I tried everything I search online about it but nothing happens. My father and my friends who notices it told me to consult a dermatologist. But I'm broke! I don't have any money left. I still owe a lot from my sisters. I don't know what to do anymore!

One night while I was sleeping, I think I heard someone whispering in my ears, words that I can't understand. I jump up on bed, frightened! Then I suddenly feel a pain in my back.. like a sharp thing was pierced in it! a few seconds it was gone and then the feeling came back in a different part of my back... it goes on and off and in different parts of my back.. I was crying in pain.. I can't even shout! I just cried.. and cried. After a few minutes it was gone.. then... Suddenly, I felt a severe pain inside my left ribs! the pain is below my breast! Like I was punched or something! and it stays there like something was pressing that part that goes deeper and deeper.. making it hard for me to breathe. Every time I inhale, it seems like the pain goes deeper like I was punched even harder! So, I breathe faster like inhale and exhale for a second alternatively. I can't scream... I just cried. I think I'm dying!! I can't breathe! I can't take the pain anymore!! I want to walk and wake up my parents to take me to the hospital... but I fell from bed then I just crawl... then I felt numbness in both of my feet and my hands. It was stuck! I can't feel it! I can't move my hands and feet! So, I just fold my body, with my knees on my stomach, crying out of pain...having shortness of breathe.. I tried to call my mom.. "Ma...!" but I can't call her out loud..!

That time, I prayed "Lord, please forgive me for all the sins that I have done! please help me relieve this pain... I want to live more and take care of my kids.. I want to be there as they grow.. please...!" I prayed "Our Father" and "Hail Mary" on my mind, but I heard a voice, laughing... trying to distract me from praying. I keep praying but I ran out of breathe...

I closed my eyes and the pain went away. As I opened my eyes, the room was suddenly got covered with darkness. During that time I was thinking I'm already dead because I can't feel the pain anymore. I felt like I was floating in the air. Out of the darkness of the room, I saw a light. I don't know where the light comes from. The room was filled with smoke. I can't see anything. From the light rays, I saw a stair... a stair going upwards but I can't see the end because it is kinda smoky or foggy. I wonder where the stair comes from too... So, out of curiosity, I was about to walk upstairs. I took a step up, but, I looked back and I notice my kids were there laying on the bed in a distance. To my surprise, I also saw myself there laying on the floor, lifeless! I decided to step back, turn around and reach out for my kids... but as I step towards them, I think they are getting farther, like I was walking but the place is not moving. At my back, still the stair is there waiting for me....then I hear a voice... "ma.. mom... mommy.." I look around and I can't see where it came from. From turning around and around finding where the voice comes from, I slipped on the floor.

When I opened my eyes, I saw my kids' faces. I saw the smile on their faces and I felt relieved. My mom said they found me sleeping on the floor when they woke up. My mom also told me she thought she heard me calling her last night.

That day, a friend texted me. Her mom is an officer in our village's home owner association. She said her mom told her that there is a free check up or doctor consultation in our village's basketball covered court that will be held this morning by the certified Doctors of the Department of Health. I thanked her for informing me and then I went there.

October 2016 - The Free Consultation. So, I go to the our village's covered court to have my skin disease consulted. As wait on the line of patients, a woman sit beside me. Her face is unfamiliar, I think she's new in this village. She told me, "I think you are cursed!" ("namatanda ka noh?") . She hold my hand and feel my pulse. She says, "a witch cursed you.." ("nako, nakulam ka nga") So confused, I asked, "How did you know?" ("Pa'no nyo po nalaman?") then I pulled my long sleeves up to show her my burnt skin. Her face is normal, like she was expecting to see it (not like how other's look whenever I show them my skin, some looks disgusted and some looks shocked but she, she didn't show any emotion on her face). She then stand in front of me, laid her palm on my head, she whispers some words and then finally blows some air on my forehead. Then she smiled, and walked away. The nurse called my name and I then sit in front of the doctor's desk. I showed the doctor my skin and told me it was a fungi or virus that was transferred to me caught by dirt or from a person who already has the virus. The doctor prescribed me some medicines to take, He says if the wound didn't heal after three days. I should go to the hospital to conduct a laboratory test on it and to find out the real cause of it. When I went home, I borrowed money from my eldest sister (another sister) and bought my medicine. I didn't saw the old lady that time on the same drugstore.

Few days passed and my wounds started to heal. I still went to the same drugstore every now and then to buy medicines but I never see that old woman again (and I wish I will never see her in the future again). I am not sure if it's the unfamiliar woman healed me or the medicines. But one thing is important, I am still alive and kicking! yeah!!!

Scientific Explanations: I caught a virus/ bacteria / fungi when the old dirty woman slapped my shoulder. Since I didn't consult a doctor right away, it spreads all-over my body. The medicines that the doctor gave me and proper hygiene helped me to make the wounds heal.

Supernatural Belief: I was cursed by the old lady when I refused to give her money. The old woman is a witch who casts spells (words she spoke that time that I didn't understand) uses her cigarette and some needles on a voo-doo doll that she uses to me. The unfamiliar woman I met in the covered court is white witch or a good witch (or an albularyo) that casts spells on me in contrary to the old woman's black magic and she broke away the curse on me.

Whatever it is, this near death experience taught me some lessons in life.

• To help other people in anyway I can without expecting anything in return
• To work hard to have spare money on me in case of emergency
• Avoid talking with strangers.
• Don't let anyone touch your skin ;)
• Always maintain a good hygiene
• There's no harm in believing old folks stories or superstitious beliefs or urban legends. Safety first.
• Sometimes, you won't believe on something not until you see it for yourself or you personally experience it. Don't wait for it to happen to you before you believe.
• Believe in the power of God. If supernatural creatures and evils do exists, therefore God too!
• Heaven is real. Maybe the stairs I saw is the stairway to heaven. I believe heaven is real. There is also a place or different dimension between heaven and Earth where souls stays for a while. I think they called it "astral world or astral dimension", I'm not sure. I think that is where I'm at that night.
• Live your life to the fullest! Always spend quality time with your loves ones. You'll never know when your time is over. So, live each day like it is your last!

This experience changed my life. I makes me believe, that maybe, there are still things in this world that are left unexplained. There are supernatural things in this world that science can't explain. Who knows?? Maybe you're sitting with an evil spirit right now! (don't look beside you!) hahaha..!

Thanks for reading!!