Approved For Release 200 792ROOk7~9§n910,&OTHE PARANORMAL AFRI AyiSi, Christian Harry, M.A., Ph.D.(I~ondj University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana, West Africa. ~RODUCTICN It has been my special preoccupation to find out some special African 'eatures of activity, experience and philosophy peculiar with the rhich explain, in a significant way, some of the mysteries surrounding ~he paranormal. In this pursuit, I am currently engaged on research in ;hana into sources of psychic power; and I have been studying the activities ,f various well-known cults as well as a number of individuals privately tngaged in occult practices. From my researches, I have found that there .s a close link between the paranormal and cosmdlogy, as conceived by the xaditional African. Cosmology explains the flow and balance of the mbtle energies in the universe which bring about and affect all life ,rocesses. But beliefs concerning cosmology are prescribed by culture ind traditions; and although it is difficult to identify the various .eoples of Africa with one type of cultural Persuasion there is nevertheless sense in which some features of a people's philosophy and behaviour could )e regarded as being typically African. In this paper, therefore, I am Laking some generalizatibns from my Ghanaian experience, based on the ,kan persuasion (The Akans constitute the dominant ethnic group in Ghana; nd, broadly speaking, Ghanaian cultural style is set by them.) The central theme of this Conference is: "Psychotronics - our nner cosmos". We are focusing attention on Man*s inner space, with a iew to proclaiming the ideal of micro- and macro- cosmic unity. *Paper prepared for the Fourth International Conference on Psychotronic Research, Sao Paulo, Brazil, June 30 - July 7, 1979. 289 -Tr!l T~_ 717 77 77 T ~fi 17 It seems to me that African cosmology throws some light on this. I therefor( Mother Earth or the Barth Goddess is designated "Asase Yaa" propose, in this paper, to relate elements in a typically African cosmology "Yaa", meaning a female who came into being on a Thursday) . She is the to paranormal practices, and then draw some implications for psychotronic ide expanse of earth, and is thus polar to "Onyame", the firmament. She research. mbodies the concept of fertility. She supports all matter and all forms ,4RADITIONAL AFRICAN COSMOLOGY f biological life, and has thus the attribute of 'dependence', i.e. one The traditional African sees the universe with some kind of wholene., epended upon. Ot embraces both the visible world and the invisible. The African draws no Africans have their own ontology, which may be divided up into C14 gine between material and spiritual forms of existence; both have reality ie following five categories. 0 I*t-o him. He sees the universe as invested with mystical power. This U) God - the ultimate explanation of the genesis and sustenan--e of 0 C) (2DWer is ultimately from the Supre Being; but, in practice, it is inhereni both man and all things; W M, or comes from or through physical objects and spiritual beings. What (ii) spirits - superhuman beings (e.g. demons, and "little people'"..-" 0') tMs means is that to the African, the universe is not static or 'dead'- i.e. "dwarfs" - "Mmoatia") and the spirits of human beings who died 1-_y- 0is a dynamic, 'living' and powerful universe. long ago (ancestral spirits, "Nsamanfo"~; 0) -ii) Man - who is a fusion of a soul The forces which control the universe are the Supreme Being, ("Okra") from God, a 'blood-element' Wiritual beings, and Mother Earth. The most important of these is the V'mogya") from the mother, and a IP-ersOnality-spirit' ("ntoro") I Apreme Being ("Onya ".r "Onyankopon", meaning 'the shining one' and 'the from the father; 0 Liv) Animals and plants - the remainder of biological life; valy great one, Onyame'). He is also "Odomankoma Oboadee", i.e. the L0 (v) Phenomena and objects without biological life. lZeator. He is "Onyankop2~i Kwame" ("Kwame", meaning a male wbo was born 00 Man is the centre of this ontology, in the sense that God is the Q who came into being on a Saturday). "Onyame" is also used as a term 0- iginator and sustainer of man; the Spirits explain and influence man's P0 signating the firmament. :stiny; animals, plants and natural phenomena and objects constitute the C*4 The Supreme Being retains ultimate control over events and sustaii (1) vironment in which man lives, provide a means of existence, and man U) -W rules over the world He created; but He is also viewed as transcendent c a) tablishes, a mystical relationship with them. This is how the microcosm in some respects remote from his creation. This attribute of trans- lates to the macrocosm. coodence carriies the concomitant belief that He has delegated power to othe3 In addition to these five ontological categories, there is 0 *Mts - the Spiritual beings ("Ahonhom") - that more directly interact vital force, power or energy permeating the whole universe. This V .01h human beings. These other agents are accordingly treated as if tal force, "sunmlm" (i.e. "Sum-suml, - "move-move": moving force) W5 elqowed with an independent ability to act; and they are recognized in what anthropologists call 'mana'; and it may be equated to the _D_r own right as well as in their role of intermediaftes with the Supreme --ch "psychotronic energy", the Hindu "pranic energy"# "c Being. e Soviet "bioplasmic energy", or the Chinese "chi energy". 290 291 "'n V 'T "Sunsum" is inherent in people, animals and things. It is a potent ie amulet has the power of passive protection against spiritual "influences". derives its efficacy from one of the basic sources of magical power - the yet neutral energy vdiich can be turned to good twer inherent in any object C'sunsum"). The talisman or evil ends. God is introduces one the source and ultimate controller of this force;to active magic, and is also protective in many but the spirits have respects. It is the dFcess to some of it, and some human beings have-oduct of intellectual speculation and magical fabrication. the knowledge and technique Sometimes tap, manipulate and use it. The multitude of te talisman is "charged" with magical power by ritual different types of and incantation. Q Gkistents in the universe are unified by their " indispensable possession e interesting example of charms in Ghana is C*4 love medicine". Some of a sunqum". The "sunsum" is the essence of the ese, which often include sweet-smelling substances being or object, such as lavender, CD r*ts intrinsic activating principle; and, as ek sim well as designating the ly to make the user hi hl irresistible to the h t f ere Q o ore p g y tivating essence of particular beings and things, it also refers to the responsive object of his affection. women may secure love medicine Q#neral power to act in non-ordinary, non-physicalmake their husbands im ways. It is the primary otent with an other wom n and a a CD man ; p y se of all unusual or inexplicable events. it is thus the power behind u a y guard against the infidelity of his wife or girl-friehd by employing Q & paranormal events. dicines that will cause other men to become impotent on her. CD I (L One other type of power centres arouh.d the "little people" QEMENTS IN THE PARANORMAL LL. visible "dwarfs" ("mmoatia") They are invoked to perform miracles I < whenever pouring libation, the Akan invokes first, "OnyankoPon ke telekinesis, teleportation, materialization, ~ and dematerialization; " " W (mother Earth), before Asase Yaa ame (the Supreme Being), and then eir services are also utilized in paradiagnostics, para dicine, and Ptoning his petittons to the spiritual beings. This may be likened rbal medicine. The power of ancestral spirits ("nsamanfo") also is applying a positive charge to a negative charge to produce electric voked for beneficent or other purposes. This is the power invoked &rent which, like psychotronic energy, is a very potent, yet invisible, Q d utilized in seances. "Mmoatia" and "nsamahfo" are considered fNwer for all sorts of uses. I It is significant to observe here that (1) be the power behind poltergeist activities. W?Aarn witchcraft, even in the West, recognizes the place of "earth" __ Cd The power of individual human beings derives from their rituals. a small bowl containing earth is one of the important things ansum" (personality-spirit, emanating from "ntoro"). It is ~he on the altar table. velopment of this which makes one psychic. This 0 power is also the with the LL Spiritual objects serving the role of intermediaries . imary ingredient of -witchcraft. Astral projection ' ip an activity greme Being are deities ("abosom"), and talismans, amulets, charms S > this constituent element in man. (Oksuman"). The deities are conceived as personal beings who descend L_ A special type of power which lies betw-en witchcraft CL trLearth independently of human efforts; they . are attended by medium- d sorcery in Ghana is "Nzima. bayi", i.e. "Nzima witchcraft" (Nzi ma priests or priestesses, vko invoke their power for all sorts of human situati in the far western r.egion"k. A person who acquires this power is 292 293 _77 r %11 ~q "W 717 I'M -able to become very wealthy in a remarkably short space of time. To do s( t comes from the inner world of the individual. In the African Is however, he must first sacrifice the life of the person he loves the most iiverse where everything is conceived as containing a mysterious his own child or matrilineal relative - or else relinquish his own sexual >wer C'sunsum"), where rituals, spells, and incantations, and spirits .e as real as any physical object, there is no clear dividing line potency or fertility. After the initial evil deed, the power acts sole. -tween supernatural and natural. When operating, the magic worker for the good of the individual. But the gains so secured are often )es not divorce the inner world from the outer; bound up both inwardly of short duration. The person lives to enjoy his new wealth for only id outwardly with the magical art, he does not attempt critically a few years, and all his riches vanish upon his death. understand what he is doing; he only exploits the imagination and The power contained in words and numbers - the most fundame.,11 te emotions; thus he achieves a cosmic unity. and important source of magic - is also accounted for by "sunsum". The Then also, the African notion that all magical processes reasoning behind the use of words and numbers is the sa as in all other I ~e simply means of tapping the occult power ("sunsum") that is types of magic - that they "reverberate" through the universe, connecting lieved to inhabit everything - people, plants, precious stones, with all similar (though unseen) things. words readily lend themselv& bars, and so on - carries with it the important idea of 'correspondences'. to magical use, since they exist on two definite levels: first, as .% objects; and second, as concentrated symbols or communicators. And there or example, metals have many 'correspondencei~' in magical thought - th parts of the body, with planets, with stars, and with aspects can be no doubt about their extraordinary force; for, by putting our thoughts and feelings into words, we define them and give them reality. In fact, "to name" in Hebrew means to "make appear"; and in English to "inform" meanc the same - to give form to something that was previously vague and indefinite. The evocation of the name of a divinity is, indeed, an attempt to dominate that divinity, to cause it to appear and to subdue its will. The power of the spell derives the earth. The idea here may also be illustrated with the magical )wer found in plants, which is used extensively in Africa. A shrub Lich grows in various parts of Africa - the Ocimum Viride ("Onunum"), or instance, has both wide medicinal and spiritual properties. its -ied leaves contain 1.2 per cent of an orange-yellow essential oil th thyme-like odour and pungent taste which mixes with alcohol in .1 proportions, and is a possible source of the drug thymol. its from the power of words and incantations. The effectiveness lies laf infusion can be substituted for quinine in cases of fever of in its associations and in its methods of delivery, and in the repetition .1 kinds. The root, with that of Ocimum canum and of guava of ritual that allows its impact to be built and reinforced. th the sap of the plantain stem, is a superstitious remedy in Ghana ;r snake~bite. In cases of delllrlum, the leaves, mixed with gunpowder, INNER AND OUTER WORLDS OF MAGIC The African feels rather than thinks about magic; and this e rubbed on the face and body. In many parts of West Africa the gives an important clue to the nature of the paranormal. To the African,irub is reputed to drive out evil spirits and demons. Thust' the belief in the paranormal has 'its roots -4-. the emotions and in the imaginaLwer contained in the plant operates at different levels. One might 294 C) V_ a C) C) C*4 00 C) C) I- C) C) C) W C*4 CP I- C) C) I to Lo 00 Q Q Q Q C*4 (1) U) 0 LL > 0 CL CL an entirely natural remedy; another might be part-natural, part- symbolic; yet another wholly symbolic. This operation at different levels - (entirely natural-partly natural, pattly symbolic - wholly to control the inner (i.e. to achieve concentration on what he is doing). Actually, it is difficult to tell which world exactly this obsessional personality tries to control; there is no clear answer here, just as there is not in the world of magic, where inner and symbolic) - conveys an important idea about all magical thinking, in C) outer are one. v~ the phrase: "as above, so below"; and implied in this phrase, is IMPLICATIONS FOR PSYCHOTRONIC IMSEARCH C) C) a vast system of 'correspond6nces" between all natural objects. The The point has been made in this paper that an important clue to C) C*4 00 'correspondence' between like things, between microcosm and macrocosm, the nature of the paranormal is that we feel rather than think C) C) I- underlies all magical reasoning. It is also an important ingredient about it. Thus, the magic worker, bound up both inwardly and out- C) C) in the magical power of Amulets and talismans. Any substance - animal, wardly with the magical event, does not attempt critically to understand C) W vegetable, or mineral - can be used as an amulet, and the makind of a what he is doing. In this way, he is unlike the scientist, who isolates C*4 CD I-- talisman requires knowledge of analogies and their magical 'correspondenc( himself from an experiment, clearly sees the processes at work, and C) C) Yet another facet of inner and outer worlds of magic can be assumes that the results will always be the sa . What this seems (6 found in the ritual. The purpose of a spell, to suggest is that researchers into the parepormal for instance, is to use must be very inner power to bring about a manifestation in careful in assuming that formal statistical the outer world of nature. considerations based on Here also, reference could be made to the "witche2certain suppositions about the nature of our pyramid", consisting physical universe and our of the four cornerstones of magic from which expectations, necessarily apply to some of the whole mysterious the studies they undertake. LO edifice of witchcraft arises. These cornerstonesIt would also appear from this that the secrets are: creative of many CO imagination, strong will, absolute faith, and parapsychological mysteries lie in the unconscious secrecy. Without all mind-, and therefore, C) C)four working together, the arts and crafts of our physical world, and presumably, all other the supernatural cannot worlds too, are nowhere C) C*4be accomplished. But with the "pyramid" (which but in the mind (at least in the form in which represents the "inner they are knol~m). This (1) U)world") working for the ritualist, he is neverthelessseems to suggest that in some paranormal experimental to be sure he designp the 7~has ample knowledge of the universal power tides,results probably depend on belief in them, the source and the rather than on "scientific W L_ebb and flow of these cosmic power tides as laws". Belief, with clear thought imagery, marked by the movements may be needed to 0 LLof the Sun, Moon and planets through the solar create a desired effect. One is here reminded system (these representing of the beliefs which the "outer world"). The significance of the some psychics have in "thoughtforms" which ritual can also be can be created by thought, LOseen, by analogy, in the world of the child. endowed with "life" and assume what appears He attempts to control to be an independent CL CLthe outer world by devising games and ceremonies.existence. Perhaps there are two matters here An obsessional of vital importance adult personality attempts the same thing: by ordering the outer to parapsychologists: one is that they are to look "inwards" at world (e.g. by assemh1ing things appropriately on the altar), he strives themselves; the other is that they are to look for new hypotheses, 296 297 perhaps in ancient literature (mostly from the East). A further implicatiAppromW-Fc* ReMose 2000/08/1 6~-104AKRDPVolOO792ROW70082100,Vlg the processes all things are related by the intermingling of the "fields" (i.e."sunsum") of their belief and perceiving the valuable elements and insights surrounding them, and that there are 'correspondences' between all contained in them. natural objects. It would seem here that, sometimes, "right conditions prevailing" might be a better explanation of events~, rather than "cause REFERENCES and effect". The right conditions may be, and probably -are, "mental" 1. Mbiti, J.S. African Religions and Philosophy, conditions. The idea here that patterns of events naturally occur is London: Heinemann, 1969. implicit in Smuts' philosophy of "holism", and related to Jung's 2. Williamson, S.G. Akan Religion, "synchronicity". it would seem from this that we may have to develop Accra: Ghana Universities Press, 1965. sometimes different ways of looking at things from those we have been 3. Wright, R.A. African Philosophy: An Introduction, taught in conventional science, if we are to advance in psychotronic Washington, D.C.: University Press of America, research. 1977. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION African cosru logy sees the universe as a totality, in which material and spiritual worlds merge as one. It sees all natural things as having animating "spirits" of their own, with "fields" of these intermingling one with another; and this seems to imply that the inner world of the unconscious accounts for much that manifests in the outer world of nature, sometimes through belief in the expected results. It is also suggested that the interrelationships of "fields" in the universe may account for those occurrences which seem "uncaused". In the territory of the paranormal, interesting excursions are made into "inner space". in a sense, although traditional believers of the supernatural, often referred to as "primitives", generally "know" less than rational and scientific man, their freer responses nevertheless give them a contact with inner reality, even a mastery of it, that might well be every bit as valuable as that external knowledge. It may be well 298 Q01