The Truth About Black Magic and the Occult

 Where Does Black Magic Actually Come From?

Subhashish Mukherjee recently brought up the subject of whether black magic originated in West Bengal, as many of his friends who are not Bengali seem to think. As Keralans are certain that it originated in Kerala, it is a traditional question with a decidedly local twist. But how much of these common assumptions are true?

From Family Doctors to Witch Doctors

Historically, many societies had a local guide for the unknown. Much like having a family doctor, almost every family used to have someone they could consult on these aspects because these arts and practices were so deeply integrated and widespread.

When people ask whether it originated in Bengal or Kerala, the more accurate answer is that it simply survived longer and more strongly in those regions today, whereas in other places it has largely been wiped out.

The Occult is Simply a Technology

Essentially, what people refer to as "black magic" or "witchcraft" falls under the broader umbrella of the occult. The occult is a certain kind of technology—a way to use your inner energies to create a specific impact.

Like any other technology, it can be used either positively or negatively. You can use it to transform lives, help people out of severe health situations, and navigate psychological struggles. Unfortunately, the occult has gained a heavily negative reputation simply because the market and demand were overwhelmingly for the negative. People chose to use it for destructive purposes rather than constructive ones, leading to the common misconception that the occult is inherently bad.

When Modern Technology Takes Over

To understand the occult, think of it as an early form of communication technology. Imagine walking around with a cell phone a hundred years ago, able to speak to someone across the world in America—people would look at you and think you possessed occult powers, and they would shiver in awe.

However, as modern technology becomes more subtle, the need for the occult naturally recedes. Many things that used to require intense focus and energy through occult methods can now be done instantly. You can simply send a WhatsApp message instead of sitting down to transmit thoughts or messages over a distance. Because regular technology has taken over tasks like telepathic communication and distance messaging, the need for the occult is fading away, and most of it will likely disappear over time.

Where Does Occult Practice Stand Today?

Looking at where these practices have traditionally been maintained, Kerala appears to top the list in terms of sophisticated occult practices, followed by West Bengal and certain northeastern states. While regions like North America had basic, rudimentary forms of occultism—mostly centered around messaging—modern smartphones have largely rendered those practices obsolete. In the past, places like Kashmir, parts of Andhra Pradesh, and Orissa also had rich traditions of occult practices, but that market has largely faded.

What are your thoughts on the place of the occult in the modern, tech-driven world? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

China’s City of the Dead – FENGDU

 

Introduction: China's City of the Dead

In the mist-covered mountains of Chongqing, where the Yangtze River carves through ancient stone, a place exists that defies the boundary between worlds—a city built not for the living, but for the dead. For more than 2,000 years, pilgrims have climbed these sacred slopes. Emperors have feared it, monks have blessed it, and the dead? They say the dead have walked its paths since the dawn of Chinese civilization. This is Fengdu, China's ghost city, whose secrets we now descend into.

The Origins of Fengdu and Ming Mountain

170 kilometers downstream from Chongqing, on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, stands Ming Mountain. To the casual observer, it appears like any other peak in China's endless landscape, but this mountain holds a darkness and a purpose. The Chinese call it Fengdu Guicheng, the ghost city. This sprawling complex of temples, shrines, and monasteries was not built to honor gods or emperors, but as a mirror of the afterlife itself—a physical manifestation of Diyu, the Chinese underworld, modeled after Yudu, the capital of hell.

The Immortal Founders: Yin and Wang

The legend began during the Eastern Han Dynasty, nearly 2,000 years ago. Two imperial officials, Yin Chong Sheng and Wang Fangping, grew weary of the corruption and chaos of court life. They abandoned their positions, their wealth, and their very identities, retreating to Ming Mountain to practice Taoist self-cultivation. Through years of meditation, fasting, and ritual, they achieved what every mortal fears is impossible: they became immortal.

However, immortality came with a price. During the Tang Dynasty, their names became fused in popular mythology as Yin Wang, which in Chinese means King of the Underworld. The mountain where they achieved enlightenment became known as the dwelling place of the King of Hell himself, and thus Fengdu's transformation began. What started as a place of spiritual pursuit became far darker. By the Ming Dynasty, temples dedicated to death, judgment, and torture lined the mountainside, filled with sculptures and carvings so vivid that visitors claimed they could hear the screams of the damned.

The Three Tests of the Underworld

The Chinese believe that when you die, your soul does not simply vanish; it embarks on a journey. Every soul, whether virtuous or wicked, must pass through Fengdu before reaching its final destination. According to ancient belief, the journey through death requires passing three tests that measure your nxei'n malytf and the virtue of your life.

1. The First Test: The Bridge of Helplessness (Nai Qiao)

Halfway up Ming Mountain, the first test awaits. A stone bridge built during the Ming Dynasty spans a pool of still water. The Chinese call it Nai Qiao, the Bridge of Helplessness. It has three arches, but only the middle arch is used for judgment, governed by precise rules depending on your age, gender, and marital status. Demons wait at the edges: if you are virtuous, you walk across unhindered; if you have lived a life of cruelty and deceit, the demons push you down into the pools below.

2. The Second Test: The Ghost Gate and King Yanluo

Beyond the bridge lies Gaiman Gate, the Ghost Gate, the gate of hell itself. Here, enormous sculptures of 18 ferocious demons stand guard. This is where every soul must present itself before Yanluo Wang, the King of Hell, for judgment. Yanluo Wang is a relentless judge with a scowling red face, bulging eyes, and a long black beard, flanked by a scribe holding a book of sins and fearsome ox-headed and horse-faced guardians.

3. The Third Test: The Stone of Final Judgment

At the entrance to Tianzi Palace stands a large stone, the Stone of Final Judgment. Every soul must stand on the stone on one leg for three minutes. The virtuous do this with ease, but the evil tremble, fall, and are seized by demons into the depths of hell. Tianzi Palace itself is the largest and oldest building in Fengdu, serving as Yama's earthly seat with walls covered in vivid torture paintings meant to warn the living.

The Ten Courts of Hell

The Chinese conception of the underworld is vast and bureaucratic, divided into ten courts ruled by different Yama Kings. Each court is responsible for judging and punishing specific categories of sins—ranging from fraudulent trustees and unjust officials to those lacking filial piety. In the tenth court, the soul drinks the tea of forgetfulness administered by the goddess Meng Po, erasing all memories before being sent back to earth via the wheel of life.

The Ghost Festival and the Modern Era

The traditions of Fengdu remain vibrant to this day. During the Ghost Festival on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, the gates of hell open, and families burn paper offerings (money, houses, cars) to appease their ancestors.

In 1994, modernization altered the region when construction began on the Three Gorges Dam. Much of the old city was submerged, turning the ghost city into an island accessible only by ferry and cable car. While archaeologists dismiss the legends as cultural syncretism, visitors continue to experience a profound sense of awe and dread. Fengdu stands today as a timeless monument to faith, fear, and the unbreakable bond between the living and the dead.

The Mystery and Death of Rasputin

In 1916, the bloated, castrated body of a man was dragged from the freezing waters of the Neva River in St. Petersburg. Almost beyond recognition, it was later identified as that of the most notorious monk in history. He was viewed by many as a superhuman force of evil at the heart of the monarchy. Hundreds of thousands of people died because of the incompetence of the government and the ministry—a ministry heavily influenced by Rasputin. In the upper reaches of society, it was widely believed that this man was truly the source of all of Russia's problems. To his enemies, Grigory Rasputin was the incarnation of evil, and he destroyed anyone who dared to cross his path to power. Implicated in murder, corruption, and the eventual destruction and execution of the Romanov royal family, Rasputin was instrumental in wiping out the 300-year-old dynasty and changing the history of Russia forever.

Early Life in Siberia 

In a remote village in deepest Siberia, everyone knew Grigory Efimovich. As a teenager, his shameless exploits had earned him a reputation as a thief, a drunkard, and a womanizer. His name comes from the Russian word rasputin, which means dissolute. He obviously spent many of his childhood years getting drunk and getting up to no good. By the time he was in his teens, he was a sort of terror, leading a gang of toughs in the village who were so disruptive that the priest would even pay them to stay away from Sunday worship.

Member of a Heretical Cult

Unwelcome in the Orthodox Church, Rasputin began to search for an alternative path to God. He showed tremendous interest, curiosity, and a deep sense of spirituality which others witnessed, putting him on the way to becoming an important figure in the religious scene of Russia at the time. Rasputin was never an ordained priest, and he didn't become a monk, although on occasion he claimed to or pretended to be one.

He discovered a heretical cult, likely the Khlysti (known as the flagellants), who believed that only after a man had sinned greatly could he truly be repentant and pleasing to God. They believed that Christ was embodied in ordinary peasant people. The Khlysti rituals consisted of meeting in secret places—forest glades or cellars—where they would whip, dance, twirl, stamp, and chant themselves into an ecstatic frenzy (radyinia), and then engage in group sex and orgies. The purpose of this was to indulge in the flesh in order to be purified, repent, and abstain once again.

Despite his involvement in the cult, Rasputin married a local girl and started a family, but he was not destined to play the doting father for long, soon embarking on a wandering pilgrimage that built his mystical reputation.

The Road to St. Petersburg and His Appearance

From the very beginning, Rasputin showed that he had something like second sight, alongside hypnotic, powerful eyes that seemed to be the center of his personality. Assuming the role of holy man and healer, he set about corrupting countless God-fearing women by convincing them that sin was necessary to reach Christ and that he could be their medium.

In 1903, Rasputin arrived in St. Petersburg with an appearance far from regal. He was a shaggy figure with a sable coat thrown over peasant boots and a blouse, smelling somewhat like a goat. He had long, greasy black hair and a thick black beard (which people joked was covered in last week's dinner). He parted his hair in the middle and combed it over his forehead to hide a bump, which critics liked to compare to a devil's horn. He was repulsive-looking, and his eyes were often described as those of a maniac.

Ties to the Royal Family and the Tsarevich's Health 

In the early 20th century, Russia suffered massive domestic disorder and the constant threat of foreign invasion. Both the church and the monarchy were looking for genuine spiritual types from the common people to provide divine authority. Tsar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra lived a life of opulence, but their lives were overshadowed by a dark cloud: the heir to the throne, Alexei, suffered from hemophilia, an agonizing and incurable blood disorder. The Empress, who felt guilty for bringing the disease into the Romanov family, was desperate to save her son.

In November 1906, Rasputin was summoned to the royal palace at Tsarskoe Selo to see if his mystical healing ability could help. He was able to stop the Tsarevich's bleeding on several occasions, whether through hypnotism, a calming presence, or comforting the hysterical mother. An incident in 1912 cemented his position: after a severe fall caused internal bleeding, a desperate Empress wired Rasputin in Siberia, and he replied by telegram: "God has heard your prayers and seen your tears. The little one will not die." The next morning, the bleeding stopped, sealing Rasputin's place in                                                                                          the royal palace forever.

Power and Decadence in the Capital

With the Empress's protection secure, Rasputin abused every rule in the holy book. He would go straight from praying at the Tsarevich's bedside to visiting a local brothel, boasting as much about his prowess as a lover as his mystical powers. He took immense pleasure in insulting his social superiors, including forcing aristocratic women to submit to his advances and humiliations.

From about 1912, he acted as the Empress's confidante and confessor. He became a powerful "fixer" who could make or unmake bishops, advance ministers, and even appoint or dismiss prime ministers. When Prime Minister Peter Stolypin compiled a massive file of evidence proving Rasputin's corruption and manipulation of the Tsar and Tsarina, Nicholas saw it was true, but Alexandra dismissed it as persecution of a saint. Shortly after, Stolypin was shot and killed at the opera.

World War I and Rasputin's Fall 

When Russia went to war with Germany, the situation deteriorated rapidly. The Tsar left the capital to take personal command of the army at the front, leaving Alexandra in charge of the government with Rasputin as her advisor. Rasputin's influence over ministerial appointments led to catastrophic failures: soldiers at the front lacked weapons, ammunition, and winter clothing, leading to millions of casualties.

Rumours, crude cartoons, and scandalous allegations flooded the St. Petersburg newspapers, portraying Rasputin and the Empress as the center of a pro-German treasonous bloc. Realizing the state was collapsing, a group of aristocrats, high-ranking officials, and members of the inner circle decided that Rasputin had to be eliminated.

The Assassination of Rasputin

In the early hours of a December night in 1916, Rasputin was lured to the palace of Prince Yusupov under the guise of a secret tryst. There, he was given cakes and wine laced with cyanide, but the poison appeared to have no effect on him. An impatient Yusupov retrieved a pistol and shot him twice in the chest.

Believing him dead, the conspirators left him, but Rasputin miraculously revived, staggered out into the courtyard, and was shot again. Convinced he was the incarnation of the devil, his attackers beat him with a rubber truncheon, castrated him, and dumped his body into the freezing river.

Within three months of his murder, the Tsar lost his throne, and the royal family was imprisoned and eventually executed. Rasputin's body was later exhumed and burned by revolutionaries as the ultimate symbol of the fall of the Russian imperial government.

• Do you believe historical figures like Rasputin genuinely possessed supernatural abilities, or was it purely a mastery of manipulation and psychology?
• What is the most fascinating (or unsettling) aspect of how religion and political power have intertwined throughout history?
• Which historical figure do you think is the most misunderstood of all time? Share your thoughts below!