THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES

THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES

The extract from the ‘Mothman Prophecies’ by John Keel, highlights two important aspects of TOK – i) Reason and Belief; ii) Truth and Superstition.
A tall man, wearing black clothes on a rainy night, was perhaps an image created by the people of Virginia to describe how the devil looked. The people of Virginia ‘believed’ in the existence of the devil. It was perhaps a superstition in the country carried down from generations, but it was now considered to be the ‘truth’.
The couple had encountered a stranger who resembled their image of a devil - a tall man, wearing black clothes on a rainy night. The couple was so taken aback by what they saw, that they believed that it was the devil. To confirm their belief, they narrated the incident to their friends, who agreed that the couple had encountered the devil.
Few days later, when the couple died in a fatal accident, their friends said that the devil was responsible for their death. They reasoned themselves that if the couple hadn’t seen the devil, they would have still been safe.
Just as the people of Virginia had a belief, I too have mine, I believe that there’s no such thing as the Devil, and so that night the couple could not have encountered the ‘devil’. Their accident was a mere coincidence that had occurred a few days after meeting the stranger. The couple was destined to die that day and so they did die.
The existence of the devil has not been proved till today. Those who believe in it have chosen to do so, and vice versa. Thus, belief in the ‘Devil’ depends upon each one’s personal opinion and perspective.
Co-incidences happen too – if I throw the apple on the floor and at the same time a bomb is dropped on country A by B, it doesn’t mean that my apple caused the apple to fall. Each of the incidents was independent in their existence and not a cause or outcome of the other. Similarly, the couple’s fatal accident and their encounter with the stranger were two different incidents.
I’d like to end with a quote by Deepak Chopra “There’s a conspiracy of co-incidences that weaves the web of Karma or destiny and creates an individual’s personal life – mine, or yours.”