In the year 1482, the fearless Portuguese explorer Diogo Cao set foot in the heart of the Kingdom of Congo, embarking on a quest that unravelled a captivating encounter with a civilization entrenched in its age-old traditions and profound spiritual convictions.
What initially began as an expedition into the mystical unknown swiftly transformed into a complex tale of cultural clashes, religious transitions, and the mysterious concept of multiple souls.
The arrival of Cao amidst the dense jungles of Congo marked the beginning of European exploration in the region, triggering the dispatch of numerous missionaries from Portugal with the objective of converting the indigenous tribes from their ancient Vodun faith to Catholicism.
This conversion held more significance than a mere shift in beliefs; it was a crucial component of a broader European agenda that sought not just territorial expansion, wealth accumulation, and labor acquisition but also the salvation of souls for the Catholic Church.
Over the course of a century, European missionaries successfully Christianized the Kingdom of Congo, replacing the native belief in a sky god creating Earth and its inhabitants with the Catholic doctrine of creation.
Amidst this religious evolution, a striking aspect of the locals’ beliefs persisted—a belief shared with the ancient Egyptians in the existence of multiple souls within humans.
In this dualistic perspective, individuals were believed to house both a “big soul” and a “little soul,” with the former representing personality and identity, while the latter acted as a fundamental animating force, often likened to a lesser angel and a greater angel.
Upon death, the lesser angel remained perplexed with the body, while the greater angel departed.
During the propagation of Christianity, traditional bokors, or witch doctors, were compelled to perform Vodun rituals covertly. Accounts of these witch doctors resurrecting the dead through ancient rites and ancestral wisdom astonished European missionaries, giving birth to beings known as zombies. These zombies were said to possess solely the animating soul, devoid of personality and emotions.
Prompting a bewildering question: Could these tales hold specks of truth? Do they provide evidence that both the ancient Egyptians and the Congo tribes might have stumbled upon something significant with their belief in the division of consciousness into separate entities?
The mystery deepens when we ponder how ancient witch doctors, devoid of modern technology, could potentially revive the deceased, reinstating only the aspect of the soul responsible for animating the physical form.
Ancient astronaut theorists present a captivating hypothesis, suggesting that the roots of voodoo magic can be traced back to celestial beings and their messengers known as orishas or loas. Legends depict these divine messengers descending from the skies in peculiar crafts, as illustrated in ancient carvings featuring elongated skulls.
Could these African deities have been extraterrestrial beings who not only imparted knowledge about the soul but also the secrets of resurrecting the dead?
The narrative unfolds further, proposing that with time, the original teachings of these cosmic entities may have faded. Magicians and sorcerers in Africa and other regions attempted to replicate the accomplishments of the extraterrestrials, achieving a limited degree of success—giving rise to the concept of zombies.
Yet, the origin of this wisdom remains clear: it stemmed from celestial beings.
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Within this elaborate tapestry of cultural exchange, religious transformation, and ancient beliefs, we find ourselves contemplating the possibility that our understanding of consciousness and the revival of the deceased could have roots in encounters with extraterrestrial beings. As we navigate these cryptic threads of history, we are left with more questions than answers, highlighting the intricacy and profundity of human beliefs and the enigmas that forever capture our imagination.