MmIiRrAaCcLlEe
Inspirational miracles are the phenomena, that cannot be explained by our current understanding of the laws of nature and the universe. They are 'inspirational' because they have positive effects on individuals involved. Positive effects range from experiencing deep calmness and unconditional love to instant healing of fatal diseases. They inspire people towards major changes in the way of living, towards broader awareness, higher ethics and morality. They often inspire also those, who just read about them. Some of these miracles have left objective evidence (e.g. materialized objects, tears of blood or oil, which slip from the religious statues and paintings, vegetables, which have the seeds formed in the part of text from the scriptures on cutting, or unusual photos).
We found a lot of evidence of inspirational miracles phenomena that have been happening around the world, especially in the last decades, to all the people - of different nationalities, social statuses, religious beliefs, age or sex. We are convinced they should get at least as much attention as some other phenomena, e.g. out of body experiences, near death experiences, telepathy, UFOs and other paranormal phenomena. Probably even more consideration should be put upon inspirational miracles since they often include such 'ordinary' paranormal phenomena (except UFOs) and may lead to their common roots.
According to their characteristics we categorized inspirational miracles into four groups, which are introduced here. If you click on the name of each group you will get to the detailed presentation with examples. In each group there are examples of miracles with news and archives section.
This type of inspirational miracles is widely known since it attracts many people. It is connected with and adapted to different religious contexts - often through their relics. Some examples of such miracles follow. Because these miracles are often accompanied with miraculous healings they could be called also samaritan miracles.
Scientific investigations of miraculous healings are carried out in Vatican and Lourdes. In Lourdes the Comite Medical International de Lourdes - a group of over twenty medical specialists - has been investigating miraculous healings for almost half a century. Till today about 2.000 cases out of 6.000 examined (and 30.000 reported) have been marked as unexplainable according to the following strict criteria: (1) disease is not psychical, (2) disease should be fatal and endangering life, (3) healing should happen immediately, unexpectedly, should be complete and of long duration.
The sign of the cross or love?
A bishop was testing the suitability of a group of candidates for baptism.
"By what sign will others know that you are Catholics?" he asked.
There was no reply. Evidently no one had expected this question. The bishop repeated the question. Then he said it once again, this time making the sign of the cross to give the others a clue to the right answer.
Suddenly one of the candidates got it. "Love" he said.
The bishop was taken aback. He was about to say "Wrong," then checked himself in the nick of time.
(Anthony de Mello, Taking Flight : A Book of Story Meditations (Prayer of the Frog Vol.I))
We present five examples of religious miracles here. The first is a statue weeping blood, the second is an apparition of Virgin Mary in Egypt, the third is a manifestation of her image on a building, the fourth is a world-wide Hindu milk miracle from 1995 and the fifth is an example of vegetables with the Muslim sacred signs in or on them.
Porcelain statue weeping human blood
"A six-inch-high porcelain statue began weeping tears of blood. The liquid staining the image is genuinely blood, and human at that. The Santiago coroner's office pronounced the substance is type O-4 human blood. The statue weeps regularly, particularly in the presence of children."
( Source: The Guardian, UK, 4 December 1992 )
Apparitions of Virgin Mary in Zeitun
Starting in April, 1968, Virgin Mary apparitions of light at Zeitun, Egypt, were seen by more than a million people. The apparitions were broadcast by Egyptian TV, photographed by hundreds of professional photographers and personally witnessed by Egyptian President Abdul Nasser, an avowed Marxist. The apparitions lasted for three years with numerous unaccountable healings recorded by various medical professionals. The local police, who initially thought the apparitions were an elaborate hoax, searched a 15-mile radius surrounding the site to uncover any type of device that could be used to project such images. They were completely unsuccessful.
(Reports with videos and photos at http://members.aol.com/bjw1106/marian7.htm and http://www.zeitun.org/stmaridx.htm)
Silhouette of Virgin Mary on the building
During three weeks over Christmas 1996, 450,000 people went to view the wall of a black glass building in south Florida where an image of the Virgin Mary had appeared. The rainbow-coloured image on the outside of the building in Clearwater, Florida, is about 50 feet wide and 35 feet tall, and stretches across nine panes of glass.
(Sources: Associated Press; Clearwater Times; St Petersburg Times, USA)
"We're not able to explain how the shape appeared or why it appeared," said George Pecoraro, a scientist with a glass manufacturing company. "It could be an accident or maybe it's divine intervention." Carlo Pantano, a professor of materials science and engineering at Pennsylvania State University, said: "We can try to explain it, but not who controlled it or why it happened here at this time." There is also no explanation to the fact that parts of image on nine panes of glass come together so perfectly.
In the spring of 1997, someone threw an acidic substance on part of the image. For a few days, the image lost its artistic precision, but then, overnight, it recovered to the original state.
(Source: Associated Press; reported in Share International, June 1997 )
Hindu statues drinking milk
The biggest worldwide miracle in the previous decade happened when Hindu statues drank milk on 21. 9. 1995. Never before in history has a simultaneous miracle occurred on such a global scale. Television stations (among them CNN and BBC), radio and newspapers (among them Washington post, New York Times, The Guardian and Daily Express) eagerly covered this unique phenomenon, and even sceptical journalists held their milk-filled spoons to the statues of gods - and watched as the milk disappeared.
The media coverage was extensive all over the world, and although some scientists and 'experts' (but not all since some of them witnessed it themselves and reported "an authentic miracle") created theories of "capillary absorption" (although some statues were metal, made of bronze or even gold) and "mass hysteria" (although: (a) it was happening in different places of the world simultaneously, to believers and sceptics, (b) the milk, as a physical substance, was disappearing and (c) the event was not foretold by some charismatic prophet and did not coincide with some other major event), the overwhelming evidence and conclusion was that an unexplainable miracle had occurred.
(Video: Miracles and Visions: Fact or Fiction, (C) 1996, Kiviat Productions, Vidmark Ent.)
Miracles with vegetables
The home of Salim and Ruksana Patel, in Bolton, England, has recently been inundated with about 50 visitors a day, coming to see their miraculous aubergine. Mrs Patel foresaw the miracle in a dream after she'd bought the
aubergine from their local shop. On slicing the vegetable in half, she saw that the seeds were formed in the Muslim symbol "Ya-Allah", meaning Allah exists.
(Source: Daily Mail, UK; reported in Share International, June 1996)
Also Mrs. Palmar, on slicing nine aubergines, discovered, on every slice, the Hindu symbol for God. Hundreds of worshippers have flocked to see the miraculous vegetables, which are on display at the local Brapadi Temple.
(Source: Share International, No. 7, Sept. 1997; reports in Reuters, International Express, The Guardian, The Sun, Bradford Telegraph, UK)
There were also reports of the name 'Allah' appearing on beans and potatoes.
(Source: de Volkskrant, the Netherlands, 1997)
MIRACULOUS ENCOUNTERS
Miraculous encounters are happening on a much wider scale than one would anticipate. Among all the stories of inspirational miracles that we have collected, there are two thirds of miraculous encounters. Exceptional person (or more persons) whom people encounter is capable of reading thoughts, seeing past and foreseeing future according to the contents of the encounters, and often disappears immediately after the encounter. This happens - according to our statistics - in three out of four cases.
We present four examples of such inspirational miracles here. The first one is an example of a typical miraculous encounter from Slovenia, the second - the appearance in Nairobi - was a mass event in 1988 and the last two describe experiences of well-known people.
Unusual encounter in the park
On January 15th 1999 I had some urgent business to do in the center of Ljubljana and on the way I walked through the park opposite the court of justice. I noticed a lady there who kindly greeted passersby and asked everyone for hundred tolars (about forty US cents). Immersed deep in my thoughts I went along, but I heard her greetings, intended for everyone who passed by: "I wish you a good day ... Good luck ... God bless you ..."
After an hour I went through the park again. The lady was still there. I was touched, when I saw how kindly she was addressing people, although most of them didn't respond, including me at first. But soon I felt so much compassion for her that I returned and gave her the money. I sincerely wished her that she would meet a lot of good people who would help her.
She thanked and asked if I owned a car. When I confirmed, she wished me good luck at driving and may God protect me. (I'm often under stress and frightened when I'm driving.) She told me that she lost a husband in a car accident, than she had trouble with her nerves and that she was waiting to get an invalid pension. (Only later I realized that she spoke of my problems!) During the conversation I noticed that tears were sliping down her cheeks. Almost at the same time they started sliping from my eyes, too, mostly from the right one. (For some time I had troubles with my eyes, especially with the right one. At the time of this encounter I was waiting for an eye-surgery but now it seems that it won't be necessary.) She mentioned her grandchildren and how she ran out of money.
I wished her good luck again. At that moment she said aloud and layed stress upon those words:"Lady, you are so good! Good luck and God bless you!"
For a long time after this encounter I felt a very special positive energy she was radiating. I was moved and enchanted at her kindness and approach to people - like someone, who gives and does not expect anything in return. She looked well and full of dignity.
Now I know the lady was someone special. She has made such an impression on me that I will never forget her.
Majda H., Kamnik, Slovenia
Christ in Nairobi?
On 11th of June 1988 there was a healing meeting of about 6.000 people in Nairobi, Kenya (attended also by reporters from Kenya Times). Suddenly a white-robed man, whom the healer Mary Akatsa announced a day before, appeared in the middle of the crowd. They immediately recognized him as the Christ. He spoke in clear Swahili, blessed them and vanished after the meeting. In the evening it was raining, totally unexpectedly, but Mary announced that, too. Veteran journalist reported about the event in Kenya Times. Photos of the miraculous man were also taken at the event and published.
(Source: Kenya Times, 22. 6. 1988; http://www.mcn.org/1/miracles/Nairobi2.html)
"One of you is the Messiah"
The Guru meditating in his Himalayan cave opened his eyes to discover an unexpected visitor sitting there before him - the abbot of a well-known monastery
"What is it you seek?" asked the Guru.
The abbot recounted a tale of woe. At one time his monastery had been famous throughout the western world. Its cells were filled with young aspirants and its church resounded to the
chant of its monks. But hard times had come on the monastery. People no longer flocked there to nourish their spirit, the stream of young aspirants had dried up, the church was silent.
There was only a handful of monks left and these went about their duties with heavy hearts.
Now this is what the abbot wanted to know: "Is it because of some sin of ours that the monastery has been reduced to this state?"
"Yes," said the Guru, "a sin of ignorance."
"And what sin might that be?"
"One of your number is the Messiah in disguise and you are ignorant of this." Having said that the Guru closed his eyes and returned to his meditation.
Throughout the arduous journey back to his monastery the abbot's heart beat fast at the thought that the Messiah - but the Messiah himself - had returned to earth and
was right there in the monastery. How is it he failed to recognize him? And who could it be? Brother Cook? Brother Sacristan? Brother Treasurer? Brother Prior? No, not he; he had too
many defects, alas. But then the Guru had said he was in disguise. Could those defects be one of his disguises? Come to think of it, everyone in the monastery had defects. And one of
them had to be the Messiah!
Back in the monastery he assembled the monks and told them what he had discovered. They looked at one another in disbelief. The Messiah? Here? Incredible! But he was supposed to
be here in disguise. So, maybe. What if it were so-and-so? Or the other one over there? Or...
One thing was certain: If the Messiah was there in disguise it was not likely that they would recognize him. So they took to treating everyone with respect and consideration.
"You never know," they said to themselves when they dealt with one another, "maybe this is the one."
The result of this was that the atmosphere in the monastery became vibrant with joy. Soon dozens of aspirants were seeking admission to the Order - and once again the Church
re-echoed with the holy and joyful chant of monks who were aglow with the spirit of Love.
Of what use is it to have eyes
if the heart is blind?
(Anthony de Mello, Taking Flight : A Book of Story Meditations (Prayer of the Frog Vol.I))
The experience of George Washington
George Washington recorded in his journal that one afternoon in 1777 at Valley Forge a beautiful female appeared, who revealed him a vision of the future of the United States, with civil war, growing cities, consequences of the slavery, etc.
(Source: T. Curley: Masters among us - an exploration of supernal encounters and miraculous phenomena, Trafford Publishing, Victoria, 2000)
T. Curley: Masters among us (at Amazon.com)
Encounters of Wayne Peterson with highly-evolved spiritual teachers
Wayne Peterson, a retired US Career Diplomat (32-year career) and former director of Fulbright Scholarship Program, reports in his book and lectures about a number of encounters with highly-evolved spiritual teachers (called also masters of wisdom), which are, according to his experiences, known to many influential world figures.
(Source: W. Peterson: Extraordinary Times, Extraordinary Beings - Experiences of an American Diplomat with Maitreya & the Masters of Wisdom, Emergence Press, 2000)
Wayne Peterson's homepage
W. Peterson: Extraordinary Times, Extraordinary Beings (at Amazon.com)
SAMARITAN MIRACLES
These are inspirational miracles where some exceptional force or person appears and saves people's lives or heals them. We have included three stories of such miracles here. The first one happened in Slovenia, the second in Canada and in the third South Korean president Kim Dae Jung was involved, who received a Nobel Peace Prize in the year 2000:
God's help in the desert
A man was lost in a desert. Later, when describing his ordeal to his friends, he told how, in sheer despair, he had knelt down and cried to God to help him.
"And did God answer your prayer?" he was asked.
"Oh, no! Before he could, an explorer appeared and showed me the way."
(Anthony de Mello, Taking Flight : A Book of Story Meditations (Prayer of the Frog Vol.I))
Doctor Who?
I heard the following story from my friend, not long ago. It happened in 1985 or 1986. She was very sick at the time and doctors couldn't do anything more for her. She started to meditate and pray to Sai Baba for help. One night she woke up suddenly and saw Sai Baba, standing at her bed, with arms raised in blessing. It lasted only a few seconds, but she somehow knew that she would be healed.
Indeed, after a year there was no trace of sickness anymore. One day, when she was waiting for a bus, she became aware of a man standing near her. After looking at him she recognized her doctor. They were happy to meet each other and shook hands. The doctor was very gentle and asked her about her health. She replied that she was very happy because her health was better than ever. She said:"Anyway, I planed to pay a visit shortly but I think you have a lot of patients these days, don't you?"
"No, not patients," he replied, "I have a lot of disciples." What an unusual answer! Suddenly she realized that her 'doctor' was wearing a strange suit (as if it was from the previous century) and didn't look quite like her doctor anymore. Then the bus came and they said goodbye. After a few steps she turned back but she couldn't see him anymore.
Milica G., Ljubljana, Slovenia
Tamed beast
I was camping with my family in Canada at the Athabasca lake. My husband went fishing and I was reading a book at the tent when I heard my seven-year-old boy screaming at the lake. I threw the book on the ground and ran to him. But then I became struck with fear. I saw a big grizzly running towards us like a train. It was a female with two cubs. We were only about twenty metres distant and I knew it was the end.
But then a man suddenly appeared, a man with a beard and long hair. I recognized Jesus in him. He was standing right in the middle between us and a grizzly. He raised his hand and a grizzly stopped, turned around and left meekly. I started muttering thanks, but Jesus simply bowed, tenderly kissed my son and me on the forehead and disappeared. My heart was still thumping, but now for joyfulness instead of horror.
Nancy S., Canada
I have so much work to do for the people of Korea!
A Japanese edition of Newsweek published the story of South Korean President Kim Dae Jung, who received a Nobel Peace Prize in year 2000. In 1973 he was kidnapped from a hotel room and brought aboard a ship. Miles from the shore captors tied him to a board attached to an anchor. At the moment he realized his life was about to end, he saw "Christ standing near me." He pleaded: "Please save my life! I have so much work to do for the people of Korea!" Inexplicably, Kim's captors pulled the board back on deck and released him afterwards.
(Source: Share International, April 1998, from Newsweek, Japanese edit.)
OTHER INSPIRATIONAL MIRACLES
In this group we put all other inspirational miracles, like light circles, frequently manifesting across the world lately (because of their frequency and other information they are on separate pages), healing crosses of light, materializations (e.g. Sai Baba miracles, crystal tears, cross above Mont Blanc) or unusual manifestations on mirror (Maitreya's hand) or photos (examples are in archives). Unusual manifestations on photographs are in the forms of sacred images, crosses or whirls of light. All these were not present when the photos were taken.
The dog who walked on water
A man took his new hunting dog out on a trial hunt. Presently he shot a duck that fell into the lake. The dog walked over the water, picked the duck up and brought it to his master.
The man was flabbergasted! He shot another duck. Once again, while he rubbed his eyes in disbelief, the dog walked over the water and retrieved the duck.
Hardly daring to believe what he had seen, he called his neighbour for a shoot the following day. Once again, each time he or his neighbour hit a bird the dog would walk over the water and bring the bird in. The man said nothing. Neither did his neighbour. Finally, unable to contain himself any longer, he blurted out, "Did you notice anything strange about that dog?"
The neighbour rubbed his chin pensively."Yes," he finally said. "Come to think of it, I did! The son of a gun can't swim!"
(Anthony de Mello, Taking Flight : A Book of Story Meditations (Prayer of the Frog Vol.I))
Such miracles have been connected mostly with saints, prophets and other charismatic individuals, like some spiritual healers, in the past. All these have been explaining miraculous events with some special, spiritual energy or divine force, which works through them, so that they act as some kind of devoted transmitters only.
Healing crosses of light
Crosses of light appear on glasses with a pyramidal structure when one places a source of light behind them. What is miraculous about certain crosses of light is some kind of energy field or magnetism around them that reportedly causes healings or even results in visions or voices that give advice and support. Reports come from people - believers and sceptics - who were for some time close to such a cross.
First reports of a cross of light came from El Monte, California, in 1988. Police had to barricade the street as thousands gathered to witness the miracle. Numerous reports of crosses of light were coming from different countries since then.
In Slovenia there are at least fourteen crosses of light with healing powers known so far, and during our research we gathered many miraculous stories connected to them. We started organizing meetings at the crosses of light in 1997 and were witnesses to changes in human health (even instant healing of the late stage of lymphatic glands cancer), life attitudes and values. It looks as if somebody would use the light refraction, resulting in a cross, as some kind of a symbolic tool for healing and for revealing something, that is beyond the physical reality. Energies that are flowing from a cross of light could be described, based on experience, as the energies of some special love quality, permeated with deep peace.
You can read more about crosses of light and meetings at them, that we are organizing, on the pages Meetings at the crosses of light.
Sai Baba miracles
Documented reports of miracles, performed by an Indian holy man Sai Baba, are astounding. He performs miracles before many eyewitnesses. Here are some examples out of many.
1. Flame took the form of the symbol OM (Hindu symbol for the Universe) and stayed in this form long enough to be photographed.
2. Sai Baba materializing a small Bible before eyewitnesses.
3. The portret of Sai Baba manifested in the clouds.
4. Sai Baba often materializes special, very fine ash - vibhuti, which has healing powers.
But the miracles themselves are not important, as he says. He teaches that everyone could have these abilities if we would realize and manifest our true, divine nature. Jesus' teachings were similar: "with the faith and devotion to the Father we are able to work miracles".
Razor-sharp crystal tears
Twelve-year-old Hasnah Mohamed Meselmani produced razor-sharp glass crystals from her eyes without injuries or pain, Share International reported at the end of 1996. Amazing phenomenon lasted from March till November 1996.
Unusual cross above Mont Blanc
Clouds took shape of a cross. The photo was taken on Mont Blanc by M.F. from Slovenia.
kinda CONCLUSION:
Inspirational miracles phenomena cannot be explained by mass hysteria, illusions or hoaxes. Mass hysteria occurs in a closed group of people that often has a charismatic leader. It could be stimulated also by media at some global or/and dramatic events. Inspirational miracles, on the contrary, happen all around the world to unrelated people, individuals and groups. Often not only subjective experiences but also objective, material proof is involved. (We included some of them on the pages where we describe various groups of inspirational miracles.) Because of their oddness media do not write much about them, even in the case of mass miracles the reports silence quickly (like in the case of Hindu statues drinking milk all over the world). Illusions or hoaxes could be rejected since phenomena occur also in the open, unprepared place, to unrelated individuals or groups, and involve strong positive impact on the psyche and consciousness of the people involved. During miraculous encounters the exceptional beings often disappear nearby and materializations occur in clear outer areas or in ordinary homes.
According to the properties of inspirational phenomena, according to the messages that people got during unusual encounters with exceptional beings, according to other sources - teachings, studies, reviews, biographies, etc., and according to our own experience, we derived the following conclusions, which, carefully and open-mindedly considered, do not look so improbable:
(1) There exists a group of spiritually highly evolved beings on the Earth. They are referred to by different names: Masters of Wisdom (A. A. Bailey, The Externalization of the Hierarchy, 1983; B. Creme, The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of Wisdom, 1980; T. Curley, Masters among us - an exploration of supernal encounters and miraculous phenomena, 2000; W. Peterson, Extraordinary Times, Extraordinary Beings - Experiences of an American Diplomat with Maitreya & the Masters of Wisdom, 2000), Enlightened Ones (A. B. Govinda, Creative Meditation and Multi-Dimensional Consciousness, 1976) or Highly Evolved Beings (N. D. Walsch, Conversations With God : An Uncommon Dialogue, 1998).
(2) These beings are - in comparison to ordinary people - perfected and express deep compassion and wisdom. They are highly ethical and moral and capable of unimaginable, but many times demonstrated miraculous acts. They embody what we describe as higher, supernal power, God, etc. Some of them expressed this explicitly (eg. Jesus, Krishna, Sai Baba). It seems that they have knowledge of laws of universe above space-time continuum that science has not comprehended yet, although we try to reflect some lines of thought in contemporary science that support these conclusions in the section Parallels to science.
(3) Historical sources from many cultures talk about such beings. They testify that in the past they were already living among people and left traces in human culture and civilization (see also G. Hancock, Fingerprints of the Gods, 1996) but then withdrew to unapproachable places. When needed they uplifted humanity a bit for it to continue with the evolution in the proper way. They obviously know the purpose of the human and Earth's evolution.
(4) From the frequency of inspirational miracles and their messages we could conclude that these beings express a tendency to approach humanity and to help us resolve our current multiaspect world crisis, strictly respecting our free-will decision to accept their help. Inspirational miracles, too, always allow us to form our own opinion.
Sources of inspirational miracles and other positive events
A collection of inspirational miracles with many reports and with a long list of other sources - books and WWW links:
A collection of positive and mostly unexpected events of world importance:
Activities and experiences of Wayne Peterson, a retired long-time US Career Diplomat and former director of Fulbright Scholarship Program (read more about Peterson at 'Miraculous encounters'):
Author Thomas Curley explores in his book 'Masters among us' inspirational miracles phenomena through the perspective of various theological and philosophical traditions. Along the way, a fascinating pattern of links is presented, which suggests a plan of a positive transformation of humanity. The book is available at:
Activities and life of James F. Twyman, "the peace troubadour":
An extraordinary man, known in the 18th century across the European courts as Comte de Saint-Germain:
www.mothersea.com/vpk/vpktext/germain.html
Charbel Makhlouf was known at the end of 19th century as a hermit from Lebanon who was a respected healer and clairvoyant. After his death an unknown liquid with healing properties started flowing from his body, which does not decay:
http://www.mcn.org/1/Miracles/Charbel.html
An Indian holy man Satya Sai Baba, whom many people from all over the world are visiting every year (including some Indian politicians) and witness miracles, like materializations, healings or prophecies:
www.sathyasai.org/intro/message.htm
Share International Magazine, which annotates happenings of inspirational miracles and other positive events across the world and writes about the presence, teachings and activities of the masters of wisdom: www.shareintl.org
An article about the meaning of miracles in the context of major world religions - in the past and today:
Kenneth L. Woodward: What miracles mean, Newsweek, 1. 5. 2000, naqshbandi.net/haqqani/features/newswk_what_miracles_mean.htm
Reference Web:
http://skepdic.com/
http://www.newadvent.org/
http://www.miraclesofthequran.com/
http://www.55a.net/
http://www.islamicmedicine.org/
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/miracles/
http://www.psychanalyse-paris.com/823-Science-and-Miracles.html/
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/248167/jewish/Why-Dont-Miracles-Happen-Today.htm/
http://home.regent.edu/ruthven/cess.html/