In 1980, an event occurred in the territory of Dagestan that remains considered unusual. In the Agul district, the village of Amukh, which still exists, is predominantly inhabited by Dargins. These people possess a remarkable legend about an underworld where the living coexist with the spirits of the dead.
Such myths, stemming from ancient times, are widespread among the Caucasian peoples. However, the Dargins have unique details about accessing this realm and the occasional visits of messengers from there to our world.
The Dargins, since time immemorial, have held the belief in multiple worlds: one for the living, encompassing plants, animals, birds, and humans; and another for the dead, inhabited by spirits, ethereal beings, jinns, and demons. They assert that both worlds coexist within our reality. To enter the world of the dead, one must outwit fear itself, a feat only a few have reportedly achieved. Conversely, transitioning from the realm of the dead to ours is purportedly easier, with frequent visits by entities to our world.
Dargins believe that the world of the dead is real
It is said that in the Caucasus, there are caves so daunting that they are nearly inaccessible to humans. Overwhelming fear and anxiety grip the mind so fiercely that one may lose all self-control. Some believe this is the work of jinn or demons, while others consider these caves as realms of the dead, where the living are forbidden. Skeptics, however, attribute this primal fear to mysterious infrasound emanating from the cave’s depths, which resonates with the human brain, triggering centers of fear and anxiety.
Despite extensive research by the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Kosmopoisk research association, and the Neman search group, equipped with sophisticated technology, no evidence has been found to explain this phenomenon. It suggests that the source of this unexplained fear may lie deep beneath the surface, yet it remains undiscovered.
In 1980, a girl arrived in the Dagestani village of Amukh, causing alarm among the locals with her emaciated appearance and pale, almost colorless skin. Too weak to speak, she was in desperate need of food and water. The compassionate Darghins provided sustenance and a place to rest, hoping to learn more about her origins and the circumstances of her dire condition once she recovered.
Upon awakening, the girl consumed more water and gradually rose from her bed. The hostess, who had provided refuge to the stranger, also awoke and inquired about the girl’s identity. The girl revealed that she had wagered with three local youths from Burshag village that she could enter a cave feared by all. Braving her escalating fear, she ventured into the cave. She described the ten-minute descent into the abyss in vivid detail.
Eventually, she began to see apparitions and hear wails and voices, escalating to a cacophony that caused physical pain. Then, silence ensued, and she found herself in another realm. It was a frigid, dark place where jinn and demons fed on her emotions, nibbling at her soul to keep her alive for their sustenance. These entities, not inherently malevolent, subsist on human fear and emotions or the souls of the deceased. Hence, occasionally, spirits from the afterlife visit our world seeking the energy of living souls.
The dates revealed that the girl had been trapped in that realm for six years, tirelessly seeking an exit. She avoided recalling how she returned, hinting at unspeakable acts committed. As her tale concluded, the hostess invited her to stay, stepping outside momentarily.
After speaking with the village elders and the leader, she relayed all the information gathered. The leader remembered an incident from six years prior, when a girl named Muminat vanished from a nearby community. Efforts to explore the cave were futile; all who entered, including her father, fled in terror and shock. Local lore suggests the cavern is a gateway to the afterlife, watched over by djinns.
Believing she was the lost Muminat, she was brought to Burshag, where her mother recognized her despite her haggard appearance. Skeptics, however, are certain that the girl’s disappearance holds no mystical elements, dismissing her story as mere fiction. They speculate that she likely eloped with a lover, only for things to go awry years later. The Dagestan native, unwilling to return home, found herself unable to survive alone, eventually emerging among people to avoid death.
What if, however, we entertain the notion of an actual realm of the dead? Fear serves a dual purpose: it prevents humans from entering such a place and sustains the jinn. Muminat’s incident isn’t isolated; in the Caucasus, roughly 10 individuals are rumored to have entered such caves in the 20th and 21st centuries. Oddly enough, each reportedly reappeared only after years had passed, with some still unaccounted for.
