Photos

View photos from my trip via my Picasa account here.

Balinese Trance Descriptions

Description: “Four cases of trance possession that were witnessed by me in Bali during May, 2002, are described.”  – Hoyt Edge

Link: http://web.rollins.edu/~hedge/Cases%20Of%20Trance%20Possession%20in%20Bali%20IJP.pdf

A Google search for “Hoyt Edge Bali” turns up additional studies.

Cooliris Photo Wall

Goodnight, Bali. Selamat Malam.

Selamat Malam.  I will miss you.  You have given me open eyes, an open heart, a spiritual path I am still struggling to understand, new friends, a second family, and a greater knowledge of the world.

I am carrying seven small plastic Listerine bottles (cleansed, of course) full of Tirta, holy water, in my carry-on bag.  Dwi gave me a large glass jar full of holy water, but the airline won’t allow that much liquid in one container.  So everyone came to my rescue, contributing film canisters, mouthwash bottles, hand sanitizer bottles, juice bottles, and anything else they thought might be helpful (even duct tape, scotch tape, and rubber bands, which I didn’t end up needing).  Let’s hope the tirta makes it home safely.  I know I will.

So goodnight, Bali.  Sleep well.  Tomorrow is another day.  More spirits, more ritual, more wonder and delight.  I can’t wait to see my family.  I can’t wait to hold my wife and to hold my son.  Everything will pale in comparison to their love.  And then life will go on as it always has.  Only different.

FRIDAY: That bundle… that’s family.

One of my favorite movie quotes comes from The Straight Story:

“When my kids were real little I used to play a game with them. I’d give each one of them a stick and I’d say, ‘You break that.’ Of course they could real easy. Then I’d say, ‘Tie them sticks in a bundle and try to break that.’ Of course, they couldn’t. Then I’d say, ‘That bundle…that’s family.”

Today, after Dwi had helped me meet with a priest, had purchased an altar and cloth for me, had collected holy water from the priest for me, and had driven me not only to the priest but also to the elephant cave and back to the hotel, we invited me, my dad, Betty Alice, and Kathy to his home for dinner with his family.

FRIDAY: High Priest & Goa Gajah

Dwi took me to a priest in his village, Peliatan.  The priest’s name is Ida Pedanda Putra Jelantik Jenggala Wisaya.  He performed a cleansing ceremony for Dwi and me.  We took our shirts off and he poured holy water on our heads, in our hands, and on our backs.  Afterwards, we sat and prayed in the temple.

Dwi told the priest about my visions of the Barong and Wayang Kulit (shadow puppets), and the priest said they are good signs, and that it means that I am protected and watched over by spirits or gods.  The priest said that some day I may be a very holy man in Bali.

FRIDAY: Massage

This was actually my second massage at Nur Salon.  The first I had scheduled for our first “free” day.  It was with Made, a man who lived in Denpasar but worked in Ubud and commuted because he said it is too expensive to live in Ubud.  

During the first massage, which was followed by a papaya and yogurt scrub and then a hot bath with flower petals (ahh…), he said that my lower back was not in good shape.  He asked if it hurt and I said that it sometimes did.  He said he would work on it after he finished the regular massage.  He spent about ten minutes on my lower back.  Well, not actually on lower back but on my legs.  He pushed and pinched the areas around my groin (yikes!), using his fingers and the bottom of his foot to get as much leverage as possible.  It is quite possibly the most excruciating pain I have ever experienced.  One reason I asked him so much about himself (where are you from, how did you learn massage, etc.) was because he did some painful and unorthodox (chiropractic adjustments) things to me.  I wanted to be sure I could trust him.  I felt like I could.  

THURSDAY: Nyepi, Day of Silence

Nyepi has a very different feel.  Everything is quiet, still.  The breeze has kicked up, though, to offer us some relief from the heat.  There is a definite absence of spirits.  I am curious what the night will be like.  Theoretically, there should be no evil spirits, but I’m wondering if the gods (good spirits) also leave the island.  I don’t think so.

Dwi’s wife, Nyoman — with the help of their daughters, Ade and Ari — taught us how to make offerings.  The Balinese make 125 offerings every day, which is unfathomable when you consider that it took me ten minutes to make one.  We learned to fold a long piece of banana leaf into a square box and then thread pieces of hard grass through it to stitch it together.  We then connected wide pieces of banana leaf to the sides of the box to make the bottom.  The final touch was to add flowers and shredded pandanus leaves (and later food).  We also watched as Nyoman created a tower of fruit to be worn on her head for special ceremonies every six months.

WEDNESDAY: Fire throwing

We ate dinner at a restaurant in Ubud.  We had drinks first, then soup.  Our plan was to finish dinner and then go see a “fire throwing trance.”  We weren’t sure what to expect.  After our soup, Dwi called Kathy and told her that the trance had started.  We jumped in the vans, left our dinner on hold, and rushed to the temple area.  At the temple area, I saw the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.  There were about twenty teenage boys, all in trance, standing and running around a hot firebed of coals (burning coconut husks).  Every few seconds, several of them would pick up a hot coal (the size of a football) and hurl it at another person in trance.  I have video… because words cannot do it justice, and I will try to post the video on my blog.  The fire throwing went on for about half an hour, accompanied by extremely loud blasts from kids shooting off fireworks (and also blowing fire from their mouths).  It was thrilling, frightening, and shocking to see.  Dwi later explained that the Balinese (in his village) use this event as a way to release anger before the new year.

WEDNESDAY: Balinese market, At a crossroads

This morning, I walked from the hotel, Agung Raka, to the Ubud market (pasar Ubud).  The market has a completely different face in the morning.  The tourists are few and far between and most of the stalls are not yet open.  But in the open space, there are many, many food vendors selling everything from tropical fruits to various kinds of rice, salt, and raw meats.  I was looking for pandan leaves for cooking, and one stall did have them.  I thought they would have a rich, smoky vanilla scent, but they don’t.  They get that way after cooking.  I bought two banana leaf offering holders at a market yesterday.  I gathered flowers and food to make an offering.  I think I may use it when I meditate tonight.

TUESDAY: Iron Skin and Rice Walk

We started our day at Pura Wesi Kalung (“pura” means “temple”), an old temple set among the rice terraces. We parked at the entrance to a small forest and walked along a path to the temple entrance. As soon as I entered the forest, I felt different. I felt it was a powerful place. My skin began to tingle, my heart rate sped up, my breathing slowed and elongated, and I started to anticipate that something would happen. We went into the temple and Dwi explained its history. He said that in the ninth century, priests determined the location for this temple because a ray of light pointed the way to this site. Some Balinese, such as the military, used this temple to strengthen themselves, because it was known to provide those who prayed with iron skin.  When we went inside the temple, I felt the sensations even stronger. Dwi looked at me and told the group that some people feel the power of this place. I told him I definitely could feel it.