Geophysical variables and behavior: XCVI. "Experiences" attributed to Christ and Mary at Marmora, Ontario, Canada may have been consequences of environmental electromagnetic stimulation: Implications for religious movements

Since the year 1992 individuals and groups of people have reported religiou s experiences near Marmora, Ontario, Canada. The experiences, attributed to Christ or Mary, have occurred near the top of a hill adjacent to an open p it magnetite mine that has been accumulating about 15 million gallons of wa ter per month for more than a decade. During the period between 1992 and 19 97 epicentres for local seismic events moved significantly closer to this s ite. Most of the messages attributed to spiritual beings by "sensitive" ind ividuals occurred one or two days after increased global geomagnetic activi ty. We suggest that conditions produced by local geophyical and geological properties created the odd lights and induced physiological changes within the thousands of people who visited the area. Direct measurements indicated that weak (0.1 microTesla to 1 microTesla) complex magnetic fields, the te mporal patterns of which were similar to the experimental fields we have em ployed to evoke the sensed presence and altered states within the laborator y, may have been generated within the area.