Note: The following article may be frightening to some. If you are a nervous and high-stressed individual, you would be more comfortable if you do not read this.
The Website: A friend called my attention to the computer displaying an item received in an e-mail newsletter, innocently sent by a friend. It was a moving picture of a giant eye. The eyeball would move and follow the computer mouse pointer around the screen. However, though it was huge and close up, it was not made absolutely realistic, for the eyeball would change shape, and stretch in weird ways, as it followed the pointer. Also, it was all of a grayish hue, with moving wrinkles or lines, making it very unattractive. I clicked on the link to the website indicated, which brought up its home page, which had many small figures of people with one large eye, and numerous links to other pages. We looked up a couple. One link showed the face of an old man. It was a close-up picture, nearly life-size, of a little more than half a face, with only one eye visible. This one eye stared directly at the viewer, unmoving. Portions of the face, however, (most of it, in fact) continued to move and shift around, in an eerie fashion. Somewhat realistically colored, it also seemed to have gray lines that undulated or moved in an unattractive fashion. The nose would slowly move to one side or another. Sometimes the face would almost turn, but the eye remained watching the viewer, unmoving. There was a white spot in the middle of the pupil. Occasionally the other eye would almost appear. This continual moving, with the one eye fixed on the viewer, attracted my gaze for a period of time. We were waiting to see if anything else would happen, but nothing did. I thought it was unpleasant to look at, sort of like a nightmare.
Effects: So I left to rest a bit, for my evening prayer time, but was very tired and mainly lay down, with my neck propped up, though I tried to open myself for prayer and meditation with God. I woke up realizing that I had not really properly meditated, but felt too tired, and too short of time to make any additional attempt. The image of the giant eye and the man's face stayed with me. I went to try to prepare dinner, but felt terrible. I had much difficulty making any decision as to what to eat. I became very impatient with my companion for wishing to talk to me, when I felt so pressed for time. I had this strange feeling in my head, and felt extremely depressed. Everything seemed so worthless, meaningless. The picture of the man's face, and also the eye, kept coming to mind. I turned on the TV to try to think of something else, but found nothing interesting or pleasant enough to watch, and could not shake the bad feelings and the mental imagery of the face. Even my companion remarked on my attitude (impatient, rude, and depressed).
Understanding: Because it seemed as though this face and the eye was in my mind almost constantly, as mental images, I realized that they were associated with the bad feelings, depression, attitude, etc. that I was going through. The way the face on the computer attracted attention, a fixed gaze, actually had been very hypnotic. I decided I must have made myself receptive to something negative, which was oppressing me.
Release: When I realized that I was being oppressed by an evil force, I went back to my room and prayed to God and Jesus to cast it out of me, and to fill me with the Holy Spirit. I prayed that in faith. However, in order to get rid of the bad feelings, I also had to allow the Holy Spirit to enter. To do this, I started thanking Jesus for being with me, and in me (as Holy Spirit), and saving me. The spirit of thankfulness, and joy at imagining the presence of Jesus, did bring back good feeling to me. Psalm 100:4 states: "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise," so I know that this is a good way to enable the feeling of the presence of Christ, or the Holy Spirit. The Lord did answer my prayer then, and the feelings of depression, worthlessness and misery of life were dispelled. I felt O.K., again, and had dinner.
Interpretation: The 'face' and 'eye', to which my thoughts kept returning, seem to represent the Evil One. Symbolically, an eye is considered the "window to the soul." (An eye has also been used to symbolize God, as in the picture of the eye over the pyramid on the one-dollar bill. However, the images of the face and eye in the website cannot possibly be meant to represent our good and All-Perfect God, for they have been purposely made very imperfect, becoming grossly distorted in changing unattractive ways. Also, the name of the site seemed to put a slur on one of the 'names' of God. The eye is also used to communicate with and influence others. The compelling way that the image of the eye and face attract the gaze of the viewer, and the hypnotic effect that they have, could make one receptive to evil forces. I am in no position to comment on the actual intent of the inventor or sponsor of the website. However, there is a great deal of evil in this world, and one can encounter everything on the Internet. The Internet is an efficient way to spread any influence, or gain power, as it can reach so many people in their own homes. I have heard stories of Internet-addicted people who have committed suicide, even during a session on the Internet. After encountering this website, I can understand that such things might happen.
Forewarned is Forearmed: Since I these thoughts (and the memory of the face and eye) kept returning, I decided that I should write this letter, in order to warn others about this type of potentially harmful website. The Internet is a very useful tool, but one should be guarded in the use of it. If you should ever encounter a site like the one above, avoid gazing at it in a passive manner, and avoid it altogether. Please do not ask me for the address to it. Though some can observe it without harm (my companion was not affected), others cannot. I no longer feel any bad effects from the experience, thanks to prayer and God. A negative influence is most likely to affect persons already very tired, depressed, or with strong emotional needs or stresses. Even the religious /spiritually inclined might be affected, because they are more open to spiritual forces. It could be most harmful when such gaze at such a site in a passive, receptive, state. Many might be in such a state, as they coast the Internet tired after a long hard day.
Some may say the problem is only with me. I realize I should not have tried to meditate when I was so very tired. (Meditation, done properly, is a useful tool to bring one closer to God and /or to harmonize one's life). However, I am sure that it was watching the hypnotic visual effects of this particular website that stimulated such a negative state.
It helps to guard oneself with prayer, even when on the Internet.
