Dukun
Dec 12th, 2007, in News, Opinion, by Guest WriterDukun/shaman practices in Indonesia.
Are Dukuns and their trade an Indonesian way of life?
Dukun & Law
I heard, as well as read, that there is a law in Indonesia that forbids a person to invoke the assistance of a Dukun to cast a spell on an enemy or for whatever reason that compels a person to seek intervention from a Dukun.
The law forbids the practice of a Dukun too.
The law aside, it would be a feat to prove in the Courts of Justice matters that involve the supernatural. However, it does make sense because there is intent to do harm.
I gather from discussions with Indonesians that there are “black” Dukuns (those who have the means to inflict evil) and “white” Dukuns (those who use their skill to heal and/or ward off harm).
In making the following statement, it should not be misconstrued that I do not agree with the law. The moot point is – given that Dukuns are outlawed, it would also summarily outlaw the antidote for a victim of a black Dukun.
Dukun Practices
I find that despite the law, Dukuns continue to thrive and Indonesians continue to indulge.
To cite a few examples:
1. A teacher never gave up hope that she would marry her first love whom she met when she studied in Yogyakarta.
They parted ways after completing their University course but kept their correspondence and love aglow. He became a policeman in Jakarta.
She accompanied me on a trip I made to Jakarta. When we arrived in Jakarta I learned it was a one-way trip for her. She would ask him to marry her and she would make home in Jakarta.
Her mother consulted a Dukun on several occasions before she made that trip to Jakarta. She wanted the Dukun to cast a spell on the guy and that would ensure that the guy would accept her daughter’s proposal for marriage.
They married.
2. A close Indonesian couple friend had this thing going between them.
Each of them would visit their own Dukun. Each of them had some kind of talisman in their purse. Each would plant some “power” item(s) in the personal effects of each other and hope that it would not be discovered.
This entire charade finally ended in a divorce. The result, I presume, of too many Dukun spirits fighting between this couple.
3. Someone deliberately threw sand along the entire width of the shop’s front pavement of a friend’s shop. I learned from an Indonesian that it was sand from a Cemetery.
He explained that this is one of the methods used by a Dukun and what affect the sands would have on a shop business.
The affect on his business? Customers who arrived at his shop later complained that his business was shut for several days when in fact his shop was not.
4. An Indonesian took revenge on someone who borrowed his hand phone and never returned it despite a few attempts to regain it.
He had a Dukun to dispense a revenge deed on the borrower.
I learned from the borrower that he started to bleed profusely only at night, from his ears and nose. Whatever medical assistance that he sought, it merely gave him temporary relief.
The borrower out of desperation consulted a Dukun to counteract his extraordinary bleeding. His Dukun informed him that his condition was a result of an evil deed cast on him.
His bleeding ceased after his Dukun did his thing.
Notes:
1. For obvious reasons, I cannot mention the name of persons, their religious and group ethnicity in the cases that I have cited above.
2. This is Indonesia Matters, so, the article corresponds. It does not serve to be derogatory towards my fellow Indonesians.
74 Comments on “Dukun”
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iamisaid says:
Hi dragonwall,
” I wonder why. For what I don’t know,….”
I can’t think of any suitable reason (for the hammer and nails) save this one. Perhaps, it was that Dukun’s symbolic gesture to loosen her joints so that she could Inul her way into the man she married.
Another story, this one has me in it…..
I frequent the house of a 67 year old Indonesian in my hometown. During my free hours I assist him to repair shoes. He earns a living as a cobbler. I hurt my right arm through pulling out the worn out rubber on the heels of women’s shoes.
On one visit to the old man’s house, he had a visitor who offered to massage my right arm. He claimed being a dukun, practices only when there is a request but does not do it for a living.
Here is my “wonder why” part of his treatment.
He would hold my outstretched right arm and while massaging it, he would be burp loudly, ceaselessly. Also, he would incant ayat ayat from the Quran too.
After the massage he told me that there is a lot of angin in my arm particularly at the shoulder blade.
Holy Molly! he could extract the angin right out of my body and burp it out.
The following day, my arm still hurt the same.
Some angin of a dukun.
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Ade Wanto says:
Hello iamisaid,
Your opinion about dukun/shaman in Indonesia is very interesting.
You says:
I gather from discussions with Indonesians that there are “black” Dukuns (those who have the means to inflict evil) and “white” Dukuns (those who use their skill to heal and/or ward off harm).
Yes, you are right. There are two types of dukuns in Indonesia as you mention. I observe whatsoever your religion, as far as you are Indonesian, you sometime visit the Dukun. And, I believe too, whatsoever your religion as far as you are Indonesian, you are like stone in the water. Wet outside, dry inside. Religion for many Indonesian is what someone else look.
For me, the dukuns phenomenon in Indonesia, clearly stated that many Indonesian still live in era of dynamism even in their daily live look alike living in postmodern era. I remind there was a high rank official govt person in Indonesia (and has phd degree) that believe in a dukun. Coz his dukun says there was a priceless treasure in Bogor, thus he sent many persons to dig it. As a moslem, it was unbelievable.
And, I observe, all dukuns have many job order while elections. Let’s see that phenomenon. As a result, those many Indonesian behavior in relation to dukuns, I believe, make this society and country behavior can’t understand by foreigners too. Do you believe if I tell you that’s someone buy a plant (javanese plant named senthe) for a billion rupiah? When I ask what is the function of that plant? To avoid voodoo practices in the palace. Whoops.
dragonwall Says:
If the law forbids so how come there are that many around? Or just because they are Muslim that no one would dare touch them or being afraid of being ‘dukuned’?
Yes, some of dukuns are Muslims. Some of them are Christians. I think all religion in Indonesia have their own person called dukun -whatsoever their religion. Me and my fellow have been touching this matter. However, we must have at least a witness to drag a (misconduct) dukun to justice.
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Hi ade wanto,
Thank you for sharing your views on Dukuns in Indonesia.
You mentioned about “Coz his dukun says there was a priceless treasure in Bogor, thus he sent many persons to dig it. As a moslem, it was unbelievable.”
I suppose that you refer to what is termed as harta karum (I presume my spelling is correct) when you said priceless treasure.
Over here, for quite a long time, people went in search of Indonesian Rupiah notes which were printed and in circulation during Sukarno’s time. The claim is that the Rupiah note will start to curl in the open palm of a person’s hand while certain ayat ayat from the Quran is recited.
When this note is “pure” and has never been used for other purposes such as invoking its powers to provide winning numbers, and this note is used by a Dukun who has the ilmu and a special keris that has an open hole in its blade, money or harta karum by the truck loads will start to fly into the room.
I know this much because I have seen those Indonesian Rupiah notes and I have witnessed it curl when ayat ayat from the Quran was recited. Of special interest is that those Rupiah notes when held under UV light, there were inscriptions of Allah on all four corners of the note.
It was a treasure hunt game played in the country for a very long period. People went in search of this kind of Indonesian Rupiah notes. People went in all directions to find a Dukun who had the ilmu to make it happen. People went in search for the special keris. The Police raided secret gatherings of those who were performing the rites to make the harta karum fly in. Ha ha ha ha, it was big business and till this day, I have not heard of anyone who ever saw the truck load of money fly in.
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Dragonwall says:
I would rather summarize it in this manner.
Perhaps they were religious people who may at some instance did some prayer and that had the what I think is, at the right place the right time the right person, kind of stuffs and suddenly this guy was rumored to be able to be a faith healer and it started the ball running I guess.
Whatever it is, it doesn’t seemed logically that it would happened as supernatural as they think it may be.
Like the one in Sukabumi, it seemed there were so many people everyday lining to be hit with a nail, press of gold flake into their face, have a diamond implanted invisible in their butts.
Most important to what i feel is that one should be more willing to fight for something in life, go for it than dependant on some kind of holy smoke to light their days.
Anyway there are as many running their luck from Banten to jember
There is this Chinese kind of spiritual healer, do everything kind of guy I knew and he is dead. He in fact calculated that he won’t live past his 33 birthday and that happened.
When young about 6-7 years old, he was jumping of their 3 storey building in Pematang Siantar and he didn’t break a bone. His mother is in the rongsok business, so as his behaviour they thought he had gone nuts that his mother brought him for psychiatric treatment that squandered most of their savings. One day his mother had a dream being approached by three very old man. This is true and they said they wanted the kid otherwise the kid will die at a young age. So his mother brought him to a temple and when they arrive the monk was waiting for him and opened the door and tell him to go in. He was to be locked inside for the 3 times 108 days, almost a year. While inside he asked his mother for some money and she said I have only 5,000 rupiahs. And he told his mother to place a bet on certain numbers in SBSD and that was a winner. The mother began picking her business up again from those money. When the time was up he was release and the monk told him to kneel down and shouted “XXX’ the name of the diety. and went into a trance and wrote something on a mirror. When he woke the monk told him this is the deity that will follow you for life. He was much sought after by business people including the boss of Hotel Polonia. One day he asked 25 million from his mother and said he wanted to buy the scrap from PLN and the mother said nobody wants that stuff, those scrpas were there for many years. He insisted and got the money and bought the scrap. Much to everyone’s surprise, buried under the huge heap of scrap were all new copper cables that was worth billions in the early 80’s. They became rich but soon squandered all his money on drinks, gambling and womanizing.
He approached me in Jakarta for a place to saty and I let him use one of my house. Not long he move out and started the vinegar business.This was one of the restrictions. He is not suppose to gamble, womanize and touch any vinegar but he did. One day he had this thought of ‘kawin lari’ and had rented a minibus near Sumur Bor, Cengkareng. Before that he told his wife to prepare a set of white clothing, a pair of white shoes and socks and said if he die, his wife should not be his widow and asked me to prepare a white car to lead the hearse. I wasn’t around and he left with his prospective father in law, wife fiance, her brother and a family friend and himself. While en route to Jember he came head on with a truck and his minibus was smashed into 1/3 the size and blown apart. His charred body and three others remained in the wreck. The family friend escape with little injury and vanished after hospitalized.
This tells me that if someone violate an oath/promise/vow with a certain supernatural source, they will return to where they were suppose to be. This is real and happened somewhere around 94/95 in Jember.
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Cukurungan says:
dragonwall,
Do not forget me, I am also one of Dukun but with little up-lift so most friend call me as “Dukun Engineer” who eligible to say anything but responsible for nothing. I believe that you also ever visited to “Gunung Kawi” one of the very famous center dukunisme in Malang Area until today. FYI”¦ I spent most my childhood in that area and most my friend were running business related to dukunisme with most their client were the Chinese businessmen, at that time we prefer to serve the Chinese client rather than the pribumi one because the most typical pribumi they want to become rich but the do not want to spent enough money for “Slametan and buying Jimat”.
And I knew very well that most of my dukun friend just sold fake advice and “fake Jimat” and something like that. What make me wonder when those Chinese businessmen implemented those fake thing and it work and most of them even became icon success businessmen in Indonesia like “Gudang Garam, Bentoul Owner might be Jarum owner” and according my friend they are still also become regular visitor at least every “Satu Suro” -
That means you were there selling those jampi-jampi kind of enginerring stuff so that when you build a building it won’t fall..
How about wanting to have a nice girl..are you able to do that also..by jampi jampi then the following morning is by my bed.
Gunung Kawi visited by Chinese is because it is a temple and most of the patrons are Chinese. There is nothing to do with dukunizing?
The only thing I know is that these people place a vow/promise/oath to repay the kindness when things comes true to them. There are people that who carry out their promise and repay their kindness. Unlike you when you were there you never repay your kindness instead you go everywhere preaching Islam.. Come on you should also be preaching Taoism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity.
Anyway everyone knows that you are preaching noughts..
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Aluang Anak Bayang says:
Sheikh Cuk,
Old tradition never dies. When I first started my business in Surabaya, I have dukun to bless my business on the insistence of my in-laws who are staunch moslems from Solo. When my branch offices opened in Singapore and Shanghai, I flew in Javanese dukuns. Not that I believe in magical dukun; but as Javanese doing business in foreign territories, I show them Javanese have our own unique and exclusive culture and tradition – something to be proud of. In the Shanghai opening ceremony, I hired a lion-dance troupe to show appreciation of another culture, not that I believe in mythical Chinese lions. Of course, I wear batik and peci, not Arabian robe and nappy on my head.
A ‘dukun engineer’ as you describe yourself will never understand foreign diplomacy. Some people are just born to be employee for life. I am a full-blooded Javanese. I do not make fun of traditisi passed down from my nenek moyang, as long as it is not hurting anyone. Javanese are empire builders. We are born to lead.
Your brown brother.
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Hi Aluang Anak Bayang,
You said : “Old tradition never dies.”
me : Interesting statement. And thanks for sharing your views on this article.
Just for the sake of polemics on the following of this practice –
So there are those, like you as an example, who regard its rituals as adat or tradition.All along I have thought the Dukun’s practice and its appeal more as an occult movement.
Do you mean that:
(a) the blessing needed for the start of your business is a traditional practice,
(b) the belief that the blessing needed is the role of a Dukun
(c) both (a) + (b)Let me use myself for what follows. Being a Catholic, my religious upbringing teaches me that God is Omnipotent and Omniscient. Yet, I know of staunch Catholics who carry with them talisman, believe in superstitions and consult mediums.
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dragonwall,
Gunung Kawi visited by Chinese is because it is a temple and most of the patrons are Chinese. There is nothing to do with dukunizing?
You make me laugh what the reason chinese have to go to temple at gunung Kawi
while there are much better temple available at the cities. Those temple was build just to accomodate Chinese need for worship to their God after “dukunizing process” by “juru kuncen” or “dukun” at Gunung Kawi.Here little story how some dukunizing process was going on there, Once day one of my dukun friend has a chinese client who want to be set free from a bad luck and the dukun asked their victim to purchase 4 different color textile or fabric, of course this is special price.
The ritual for clean-up of his Bad Luck is very simple, the dukun was spelling a fake mantra and dukun say ” saya akan ambil kesialan kamu yg berwarna hitam dan akan saya lempar kearah utara” then dukun take a black textile a throw it to us, hence the dukun repeat it again and again until complete throwing of 4 different color textile to 4 direction. In the end of ritual, we share the result of the dukunizing process the dukun got money and the assistance dukun got the textile.
A ‘dukun engineer’ as you describe yourself will never understand foreign diplomacy. Some people are just born to be employee for life. I am a full-blooded Javanese. I do not make fun of traditisi passed down from my nenek moyang, as long as it is not hurting anyone. Javanese are empire builders. We are born to lead.
My recommendation do not say that again, Javanese shall always maintain low profile but high profit. We are not born to lead but we born to ndalang other people can become President or Minister or whatever but as “Dalang”we have to ensure that everything is fully under control the invisible of our hand.
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Hi iamisaid,
Dukuns or witchdoctors could be found in many ancient Asian societies, and consulting them on important events or issues became a tradition. As our society matured, we are less reliance on dukuns, but some rituals stay and become adat. So from your question, the blessing needed for the start of your business is NOW a traditional practice; and the belief that the blessing needed is the role of a Dukun.
Yes, I know many staunch Indonesian Catholics and Moslems in Central and East Java consult dukuns when they open new businesses. I attended one few weeks ago. Asian will always be Asian whether Chinese or Javanese. We believe in supernaturals. Ever wonder why ghost and black magic movies are ever popular in Asia.
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Welcome back Aluang Anak Bayang,
Thanks once more for your explanation.
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Hi dragonwall,
Thanks for sharing your experience about the Chinese spiritual leader.
As I read it, it is that the accuracy although incredulous but there are people who would attest to its veracity.
And I know what it is like having experienced a ritual. Referring to that ritual, I cannot describe my state of mind as the illogical became logical. That is for whatever logic means in they way our senses and the natural laws dictate.
I shall try to be as brief as possible and leave out most of the details.
Together with two other lads, we were instructed to bury a headless rooster that was a sacrificial offering. The ritual was conducted at night, far away from any human habitation, some depth in the jungle.
We dug a hole in the sand large enough to bury the carcass. As we covered and filled the hole, we used our bare hands to pound and level the soil.
I heard the dead, headless rooster crow! The two lads and I looked at one another with complete disbelief. That scared the sh*t out of us.
One of the lads, just to confirm that it was not probably one of us who had let out a fart, hit the levelled ground once more. Again the headless rooster crowed.
We ran as fast as our legs could carry us back. The Dukun was unperturbed by the sight of us running as though our lives depended on it. In fact, he was smiling when we approached him.
None of us spoke all the way back. the journey. The Dukun too was silent which added more to our fear.
The following day the Dukun explained that his ritual to save a husband who was under the influence of a divorcee and known to have squandered 9 million Dollars on her, now would need him to consult his Guru on what next to do. Reason being that the other party’s Dukun(s) from Thailand knew what was went on in the jungle last night.
“What? the Thai Dukun knew?” I queried.
“Yes,” the Dukun replied, “to show how powerful his force is, he made the headless rooster crow.”
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You said,
he made the headless rooster crow.”
but have you heard of mimicking? There are people who are good at that. Of course there may be some truth to that if you refers to Thai dukun. The thai have been for centuries been the infamous bunch of black magic and witchcraft like those African voodoos. So far, as to Indonesian dukun, I have not any positive experience from them, but Manada and Dayak yes sort of.My two brother in laws were the ‘bandel’ type of people. One, say (A – he himself is also a spiritual person like “orang halus yang ikutin”) wanted to have something to be proven to him in life. He was given this talisman in the form of stone tied into a black cloth. The dukun, kampetan in Manado language, said no booze, woman or gambling and all others will come. He tested that riding my brand new vespa to grogol and said he is hungry without money and headed into a Padang food stall and the boss greeted him and after finishing the boss said “uda, makasih ya” and he left. No tab.
This guy works as a sales manager in my chemical factory and one day, I had earlier referred to the guy who died in the crash, A visited the widow of the dead guy. He and (B) always goes out together using my delivery van and they will always chat till dawn. One fine night the RW, apparently this s88t was trying to court this widow, came with a group of people to the house of this widow and said. “Eh, lu orang kenapa tiap malam ke sini di rumah orang janda?” B then tell him off, “Eh kamu orang siapa, gua orang lagi bicara ada urusan apa dengan kalian?’ Then those guys armed with parang an exhaust pipes. They slam the exhaust pipe onto the windshiled of my van and everyone got a shock. The exhaust ‘mental’ with a scratch to the windshield. Everyone starts to run away. Little did these people know that my van was protected by something. B who was attacked with parangs was unscratched despite being slashed several time. See how good these ‘kampetan’.
(A) help the widow move to another house where she contracted that for 2 years. She asked (A’s) help. He came and told her comon leave the house she refused as she had paid the money. A said someone died in this house, to her disbelief. He said call the owner and later he owned up that his father hanged himself. So in order to rectify the situation they called in kiai for slametan. All were sitted around a table and prayed so A uttered to himself ans said ‘if you dare make your presence’ and suddenly a small rusty kris fell from above onto the table and no one seems to notice. The kris was rusty with arabic inscriptions on it so he said I am going to make you jaga mobil and then place it in the van. That night 4 of the tires blew up to his.
Thailand’s black magic are for real. Of course there are those Indonesian dukun who are also good at this kind of stuffs. Stay away from them. -
WOW ! dragonwall,
You DO have some great personal Dukun experiences to share. It is amazing to say the least.
About that keris falling from out of nowhere. That must be real for sure because I have heard of several incidents where the keris was the “power” item. I even heard from someone whom I would not doubt about the ancestry of various kinds of keris and the supernatural powers attached to them.
Yes, about the Thai Dukuns, I heard that they are like how you described them.
Now that the Thai Dukun has crept into IM – I have worked in Bangkok. The Thais are devout Buddhists but their respect for the spirits and I found their belief and respect for the spirits and faith in Dukuns equal to Buddhism itself.
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Actually those that had gone to black magic were those who started out as good guys but later on being defray and learn others complimented by the religion and I guess that was how it started.
The kris was so rusty but shears clean of any whiskers and bulus, my friend. No joke. Once in the lat 80’s we had contracted a house in Tomang Utara and the house to me is nothing but to others they seemed creepy. Once my wife’s sister saw something running up the stairs and shouted ghost. We chase them but found nothing and this guy (A) accidentally crawl into the attic and saw a Quran with a lock of hairs in the Quran, apparently left behind by the previous people who stayed there. When he opens up the Quran, lights in my house just went out and he quickly came down and lights were on again. Ain’t that creepy.
I used to mix a lot with people from Manado, mostly petinju, and most of them somehow or rather have something to hold on to them.
But religiously speaking, don’t defray with that religion and you would be better off.
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As I read above there are two types of dukuns: practice as a healer for human (dukun beranak, dukun patah tulang, dukun amandel) and practice voodoo (black magic). Mebbe I forget dukun knalpot. Ha ha ha
To dukuns that practice as a healer, I believe, government must take set a kind of rule. It is for protection from dukuns malpractices. I think govt must provide training center to upgrading their skills.
But, for dukuns that practices voodoo, I believe, its mine. They must be “to be killed.” For us, as moslem, it is kurafat. I won’t take any tolerance for that kind of dukuns even they claim themselves as moslem and sell Quran verse.Hi dragonwall, I suppose you are Indonesian Chinese (Cina peranakan). Please dong ah, don’t generalize everything. If a moslem do mistake, you point at all moslem.
However, Gunung Kawi site is not a temple. Those are tariqah leader and followers who was buried there. I don’t know exactly why many Chinese make Gunung Kawi as a site for pray (pesugihan). I go there to but to visit as moslem tariqah brotherhood. I really don’t understand why many Chinese (even from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and other Asian region) make that site as pesugihan place?
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dewaratugedeanom says:
Iamisaid said
Over here, for quite a long time, people went in search of Indonesian Rupiah notes which were printed and in circulation during Sukarno’s time. The claim is that the Rupiah note will start to curl in the open palm of a person’s hand while certain ayat ayat from the Quran is recited.
I believe this to be true. It is a form of spiritualistic telekinesis and a clear sign of Sukarno turning around in his grave for fear of seeing syariah implemented in Indonesia every time he hears these ayat recited.
Does anyone know which are these verses? -
hi dewaratugedeanom,
You gave me the shivers after reading your response.
You said “true” for reasons explained. I am astonished to say the least.
Unfortunately, this happened slightly more than 10 years ago, I am not a Muslim and I am unable to recall what Quranic verses were recited during the scene I witnessed.
I must admit seeing the Rupiah note curl put me through all kinds of surmisations, none of which proved to be good enough explain.
Thanks for sharing your view on the matter.
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@ade wanto, I am not anti religion or race so I am not generalizing everything. If a moslem do mistake, I tend to point at him being a moslem. I am referring this to cuky because he is always picturing himself as the provocator, the person with a mind to be part of the ill gotten gain by professing himself to be a dukun engineer. I really doubt him being an engineer let alone a dukun engineer.
If you say this place in not a temple, is there another Gunung Kawi? Most of those that I know went there manned by the so call tariqah wearing peci. Most of them come back with a talisman. I suppose both Buddha and Prophet may have come to terms.
There is a yard in the premise where people goes there laying on the grass lawn for flowers to fall on them hoping to meet someone to be part of their life.. Lately, few years back, I was told that this place is no more holy as many of them goes there to make love dirtying the environment and now it seems not so ‘ampuh’ anymore. I wonder why. I hope both of them didn’t parted ways in the presence of dirty minded people seeking fame and fortune. Or did AS move it to the new UFO site at Borrobudur. Most likely huh……..
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Iamisaid
I heard the dead, headless rooster crow! The two lads and I looked at one another with complete disbelief. That scared the sh*t out of us.
One of the lads, just to confirm that it was not probably one of us who had let out a fart, hit the levelled ground once more. Again the headless rooster crowed.
Didn’t you know that there are ringtones for handphones that mimic the crow of a rooster? I have it on mine, maybe that dukun too. He and the one from Thailand were possibly teaming up to make you believe.
I’ve used this trick several times. To impress the chicks. 😉 -
Ha ha ha ha dewaratugedeanom, ringtones huh? I wish it was the case but it wasn’t.
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Oh my my dragonwall,
You related about “We chase them but found nothing and this guy (A) accidentally crawl into the attic and saw a Quran with a lock of hairs in the Quran, apparently left behind by the previous people who stayed there. When he opens up the Quran, lights in my house just went out and he quickly came down and lights were on again. Ain’t that creepy.”
Had I been in a similar situation, I would probably have pissed in my pants, shivered all over and lost my voice.
Whenever I retell the incident of the headless cock crowing (which happened slightly more than 10 years ago) the hairs on my hand stand and I get goose pimples.
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If the law forbids so how come there are that many around? Or just because they are Muslim that no one would dare touch them or being afraid of being ‘dukuned’?
@dragonwall: Above is your post that indicate clearly generalizing all muslim. But, your word is yours. I don’t have to provoke it.
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Or just because they are Muslim that no one would dare touch them or being afraid of being ‘dukuned’?
Ain’t that true! In fact the law besides those approve religion, all other spiritual kind of stuffs are considered to have sidetracked.
I agree that a person who does wrong doesn’t everyone is to be blamed. And I am not saying you were the one provocating.
I was referring to cuky who always claimed he is the number one provocator.
A good example is that the is newly appointed Christian police chief who was greeted with much protest. If he is a Muslimin then the attitude would be the same.
On the contrary, most police officers were muslim and those ‘spiritual healers’ who uses the Quaranic verse as their main spiritual healing prayers were also muslim and with officers who in majority embraces Islam, I suppose their attiitudes were that it is better to avoid making enemies rather than being santet by them right!
I don’t see anything that was said to be generalizing the Muslims.
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Some say it happened to Bush. Spice and broccoli?
http://9rules.com/religion/notes/874/Anyways, it happened to me once, not sure if it’s something mystical.. it’s just that my friends brought up the theory. It’s presumably some kind of black magic hypnotism, ended up loosing my cellphone. I knew this girl, she’s friend of a friend, then we went clubbing (note: be very careful with your cellphones in clubs!).. while in the club she hit my shoulder slightly, thought she was going to ask me something.. but she didn’t. Afterwards, I was like in this confused state, like those moment when you went blank for a sec? Like that, but in one or two hours period of time. I was conscious (or else I won’t be telling you this story), I remember kept on going through my bag, like I am forgetting and searching for something. Funny thing is, I didn’t thought about my cellphone. Next thing I know, my cellphone’s gone. Just like that. I absolutely cannot remember the last time I put it, or loose grab of it, anything about it.
During the period of time, another friend of mine took a photo of me. My friends later told me I look different in the picture. It’s me, but it doesn’t have my eye and facial expression.
Can’t prove it though, as I said.. it’s a theory. I was tired and in bad shape that night–although sober, so maybe it’s just temporary brain defunct.Is it an Indonesian way of life?
If it is, tomorrow I’ll pack my bags and leave the country. So I really do hope it’s not.It’s quite possible that every culture in the world has its own mystical mysteries, even the now-civilised-and-postmodern West also has the Wiccans, right? If those ways of mysticism can be scientifically studied from one culture to the next, maybe it will tell a lot about the human civilization.
Or is it I’m watching too much Harry Potter? -
Marisa
During the period of time, another friend of mine took a photo of me. My friends later told me I look different in the picture. It’s me, but it doesn’t have my eye and facial expression.
Is this the picture you are using as a gravatar now?
Scary. 🙂 -
YIKES !!!
OMG, dewaratugedeanom – had it not been for you pointing out Marisa’s avatar, I would have totally missed it.
Hmmm, the avatar looks like an octopus of the deep with electric lights for its eyes…could even be an E.T.
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Hello Marisa,
In da club yo? There are many “hypnotician” practices – bahasa Indonesia’s word for that kind practice is gendam– their sill in Indonesia esp in big city such Jakarta, Surabaya, and many. They practice their skill almost everywhere: in metro mini (you know it don’t you), in the mall and on the street. Yes firstly they hit your shoulder and then, I don’t know how, our thing gone. At your case your cellphone. I believe, they practice some black magic spell not hypnotism like Romi Rafael do. Is it an Indonesian way of life? I don’t think so. They’re same as pickpocket in different way.
I have a story too. Arabs especially Wahabians are refuse that kurafat (I don’t know in English for that word) practice in Islamic society. I do too. But, as you know, in this country, whatsoever your religion, many peoples in Indonesia are still live with their head in animism and dynamism era. Even they are hold phd degree, many of them still practice such hokus pokus things. So many unbelieveable things happen here including in the palace.
This is my story: Someday there is an Wahabian Arabs came to Indonesia to visit his just marry wife hometown in Central Java. At his wife home, he saw people who make krupuk (again I don’t know English word for it). They put in some little krupuk to fried at the sand, hoopla, then those krupuk become bigger and bigger. After saw those thing, suddenly he asked his wife back to Jakarta and fly back to Saudi. He think he just see a magic in his wife hometown.
I heard many reputable universities in America and Europe have already conducting research on metaphysics or metapsychology. And, I have a friend from Greece (he’ve enrolled Sorbonne for phd degree in psychology) really interesting in paranormal (dukuns) phenomenon in Indonesia. He tells me want to conduct a have research here in Indonesia after I sent a book (in bahasa Indonesia) written by Ahmad Sobari tells about dukuns phenomenon in Indonesia.
As far I know, I don’t know much about this, Wonosobo, Central Java, is a place where phenomenon of paranormal or dukuns happen in first time (if you wanna be a leader, you must kum-kum in here). Because some believe, there are only two height places in this earth, Acapulco and Wonosobo that those the power of paranormal can get effectively. I heard too that in Wonosobo will be build a great Hinduist temple in the world coz at that kind of place people can get nirvana easily.
Yes, mysticism or paranormal phenomenon (do you recall Nancy Reagan?) is a kind that effect many civilization. It effects from generation to generation. But, I don’t believe voodoo practice can make any benefit for civilization.
Or is it I’m watching too much Harry Potter? I think so. Ha ha ha. Just kidding.
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Marisa says:
@ dewaratugedeanom and iamisaid
It’s a lightbeamer cat, suits my site’s name.. 😳
Changed it back but maybe indon-matter cached the previous oneThank you, Mr. ? and Mr. ? and Ade Wanto.
oot.
*just a minute ago, I realised that most people (commenters) here are twice or much older than I am.…
…
…
OOPS.
@ dewaratugedeanom
Yeah now this is exit… uhm, sir. Any eligible bachelor sons? Feel free to visit my blog.
Heheheheh.. ..jadi ga enak.
Comment on “Dukun”.
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If the law forbids so how come there are that many around? Or just because they are Muslim that no one would dare touch them or being afraid of being ‘dukuned’?
Once I accompanied an unmarried girl to seek one in Sukabumi and this guy uses a six inch long nail and using a hammer to hit the nail onto certain parts of her joint. (Not driving the nail through her body) I wonder why. For what I don’t know, but it seemed effective to her when she got married not long after….curiousity kills a cat..