By Tim Binnall
Folk magic, the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and sound healing were among the fascinating topics explored this past week on Coast to Coast AM. And, here at the C2C website, we told you about an enormous tunnel discovered beneath an ancient temple in Egypt, a house fire possibly caused by a meteorite, and a 'time traveler' spotted in a 1977 Elvis television special. Check out our round-up of highlights from the past week ... In Coast You Missed It.
Acoustics can be used to improve one's wellness in a variety of ways and, on Wednesday night's program, sound healing authority and pioneering researcher Jonathan Goldman detailed this fascinating field of harmonics. He noted that there two ways in which audio can influence a person: when they hear it via their ear and when it affects the body vibrationally. He likened sound to color in the sense that when we hear something, it is usually a mix of different frequencies. Additionally, he revealed how something as simple as humming can actually provide an array of therapeutic effects, such as lowering blood pressure and releasing melatonin in the brain.
A pair of discoveries from the ancient world made headlines this past week, starting in Egypt, where archaeologists studying the ruins of a historic city discovered a tunnel that measures a staggering 4,200 feet in length. Located beneath a temple, the peculiar passageway is believed to have been part of an elaborate aqueduct system, but some have suggested that it may also lead to Cleopatra's lost tomb. Then, in Israel, researchers announced the discovery of the oldest written sentence in humanity's first language. The historic message was found on an ancient comb and wishes the user good luck in fending off lice.
This week marked the 47th anniversary of the infamous wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and, on Monday night's program, historian Ric Mixter recounted the disaster wherein 29 unfortunate souls perished in Michigan's Lake Superior. While the cause of the tragedy remains undetermined, he pointed to a number of factors which could have played a role in the vessel sinking, including three-story waves, faulty hatches on the ship, and possible negligence on the part of the shipping company. Mixter also recounted a 1994 dive to the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and talked about the modern technology which can hopefully prevent similar disasters today.
This past week saw two strange stories involving odd objects falling from the sky, beginning with a case in California wherein it is suspected that a meteorite may have caused a house fire. Homeowner Dustin Procita says that the mysterious inferno was preceded by an inexplicable bang from something striking his residence and, as firefighters fought the blaze, several residents arrived on the scene to say that they had seen a fiery object descending overhead just prior to the peculiar event. Later in the week, multiple witnesses in Colombia claimed to have observed a UFO fall from the sky, plunge into Lake Titicaca, and then fly away by bursting out of the water.
The southern American style of folk magic known as conjure took center stage on Tuesday night's program as veteran root worker Starr Casas shared insights into the practice which involves an array of unique rituals for divination, cleansing, and protection, among other aims. Explaining the process of divination by reading bones, she indicated that they usually come from a possum or chicken and that she likes to include old teeth in the mix as they can provide additional details by the way in which they land. Casas also discussed the qualities of roots, plants, and herbs, noting that an oak tree is considered particularly powerful and, as such, she advised carrying an oak nut for good luck and prosperity.
By far the weirdest story of the week was something of a blast from the past as it was discovered that a crowd shot from a 1977 Elvis concert featured what some suggested might be a time traveler. The eerie scene, which was found in a CBS special featuring some of the King of Rock and Roll's final performances, shows a woman in the audience who seems to be holding a modern-day cell phone. Imaginative observers have posited that perhaps this was a person who had journeyed back to 1977 from somewhere in the future in order to take in one of Elvis' last concerts, which does seem like something a time traveling music fan might do, though we're guessing that the 'cell phone' was likely just a contemporaneous camera turned sideways.
Coast Insiders can check out all this week's shows as well as the last seven years of C2C programs in our enormous archive. Not a Coast Insider yet? Sign up today.