Smoke at the entry way of our home. Most people interested in paranormal have heard of the mysterious Dybbuk Box purchased from an estate sale in Portland, Oregon. Articles, radio shows and even a movie have been produced on the subject. Lia has been fairly involved with the mystery and, along with other serious investigators, we've both been attempting research the box and its contents. Some time ago Lia suggested to Jason, the current owner of the Dybbuk Box, that it might be possible to pick up voices or sounds on tape by placing a tape recorder near the box and letting it record. The box was kept in a room with thick walls and was quite soundproof. Jason set up a microphone and tape player and let the tape record for an hour - 30 minutes on each side - occassionally asking questions to the box incase there should be a reply from the 'entity'. Afterwards, Jason sent a copy of the tape to us to analyze with our studio sound equipment and software. Unfortunately, I could detect nothing unusual on the tape for this particular recording. I was disapointed because I thought there might indeed be something on the tape because of a strange event that took place at my home in Perth, Western Australia - 10,000 miles away from the box.
I had gone out to my Landcruiser to get some papers from the glove box. My two daughters came out with me. Upon returning to the house I saw a vague bluish haze just outside the entry way as I walked up the path to the door. Suddenly, I smelled a strong scent of smoke from what seemed like burning sage brush. I panicked thinking the house was on fire and ordered the girls to get out in the center or the yard and wait for me. I rushed in to get our son and told him to get outside also. I then raced through the house and out in the back yard trying to find the source of the smoke. There was nothing. Coming back in the house it occurred to me that I couldn't smell anything any more. I carefully sniffed the air and walked from room to room. Nothing. I then went back toward the front door to reassure the kids that all was fine. Suddenly, in the entry way just outside the door, I could again see and smell the smoke. It seemed to be concentrated in that spot. The fire must be in the wall or roof, I thought. I grabbed the cordless phone off the counter top and ran back outside to check the kids and get the garden hose. In theory, I would call the fire department and soak the hotspot area until they arrived. By the time I had grabbed the phone and run back out the front entry the smoke and the smell had vanished. Only a few seconds had passed since I saw and smelled the smoke and had returned with the phone in my hand.
I continued to follow my plan and told the kids to get over on the far corner of the propetry. I turned on the hose then searched the roof for signs of smoke. There was nothing - not even a vague scent of smoke. It was gone as quickly as it had come. As I began to relax I walked over to where the kids stood anxiously waiting. All three children confirmed that there had been smoke with a strong odor of burning sage. Lia sometimes 'smudges' the house with sage smoke to clear out old energies so the children are aware of the scent of sage.
Smoke appears in the lower part of the photo.
Lots of smoke appears in the photo.
Lia had been to the shops. When she returned we told her of the moment of excitemet. Later that evening I went out front to have a cigarette. I never smoke indoors or around the kids and took the opportunity to bring my Nikon out to shoot some photos of the entry way. Perhaps something unusual would show up. I took several photos both with and without a flash then firewired' the images into my computer. I felt a chill run down my back when several of the photos revealed a definite smoky haze. I thought about it for a moment, going through my mind eliminating possibilities as I do, when I remembered why I had gone out in the first place: to have a cigarette!
In fact, I had held the cigarette in my hand while taking photos. What I was looking at in the photos was cigarette smoke. To be sure, I went back out and took 5 more photos. Then I lit a cigarette and took five additional photos. Sure enough the cigarette smoke re-appeared in the last five photos.
Mystery solved?
Sort of.
Nothing yet has satisfied me as to what caused the strange bluish smoke-haze to appear in the doorway to begin with, nor the strong smell of burning sage. However, the following day Lia received an email from Jason to let her know he had made the recording in the room with the Dybbuk Box and would be sending the tape to us. Neither I nor Lia knew when Jason would make the recording, only that he intended to. Lia saw a possible connection and wrote back to enquire the time of day Jason made the recording. We were amused that Jason was making the recording in the United States at the same time I and the children saw and smelled the smoke here in Australia. Incidentally, Jason had burned Sage in the room with the box just before making the recording!
For those not familiar with the strange artifact called the Dybbuk Box visit Jason's web site. It's a fascinating tale of potential supernatural influence.
John Victor Ramses Author, Researcher, Project Manager for Symmetry Media and Anomalous Films Email:
