We then attended a Shaman ceremony in another underground cave. Our guide told us that Mayan Shamans are known to have the ability to communicate with spirit priests and ancestors from the other world. They have the ability to create both beneficial and mischievous acts through the use of supernatural forces. During the ceremony, the Shaman burned incense and gave an incantation in Mayan. At one point he waved the incense smoke at each of us individually and gave some type of blessing. Our tour guide said that we were supposed to make a wish. I don't remember what I wished for.

Before we left for Tulum, we had a Mayan lunch prepared by two elder Mayan sisters. As we were eating, a person who looked allot like the Shaman walked by carrying dirty dishes and someone in our group said it looks like the Shaman is doubling as a busboy. I laughed out loud and noticed that the Shaman quickly glanced at me.

Shortly after lunch, we drove to Tulum and the tour guide gave us a brief introduction about the site and talked about how spirituality was a big part of the Mayan daily life. The House of Cenote was given the name because it sat on top of a cenote, considered to be their entrance into the underworld where their ancestors abide. The house also had a tomb in it's center, but I have been unable to find out who is buried there.

As soon as our guide stopped talking, I stepped away from the group, turned and took a quick shot of the House of Cenote and the religious ceremonial grounds in front of it. I did not see the images when I took the photo. Later at Tulum, my daughter's fiancee noticed the light beams when he was reviewing the photos we had taken up to that point.

When we got home from vacation, I blew up the photo and discovered numerous images of animals and peoples faces throughout the photo. Before I took the photo, I knew little about the Mayans and their culture. Since then, I have read several books about their prophecies, which define 2012 as being the end of their their calendar and the beginning of a new world order. I read that, as we get closer to 2012, the ancient Mayan priests will come back to their sacred sites and give signals to people visiting the sites to make them aware of the upcoming changes in the world when 2012 arrives. The idea is to spread the word about the upcoming 2012 changes to the general population.

From my readings, I learned that when they are born, Mayans are symbolically and spiritually given an animal to act as a protector throughout their life. When they die, their souls hover near the entrance of cenotes to await their fate of going to the underworld, or being reborn in a new body. Having always considered myself a rational person, it is difficult for me to consider that this photo may have captured some type of Mayan spiritual event in another dimension, but then again I have no rational explanation for it. I also wonder if the images would have appeared if I had not had the encounter with the Shaman at lunch.

Do you have any thoughts about the photo?

Rich