MYSTICAL: Healing Waters

Throughout history, people have flocked to certain bodies of water for their healing properties and miraculous cures. From holy grottos to natural springs, magical rivers and mystical lakes, many have said to visit these places to get rid of chronic ailments almost instantaneously. Though what gives many of them their mystical properties remains a mystery, even to science, today.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:02Speaker 00

  I'm not ashamed to say that I fall prey to targeted ads, just like the rest of us. Those things are sneaky. Half the time, I hardly even know I'm clicking on one. With that said, I've definitely found myself adding the occasional vitamin, hair care, or beauty product to my cart, even though a lot of them don't do what they say they're gonna do. But that doesn't stop me from searching for that one cure-all, the thing that will keep my skin feeling baby-smooth, my hair luscious, and my wits sharp forever. I want the Fountain of Youth. There, I said it, okay? But who doesn't? Which is why I am ridiculously fascinated by today's topic.

• 0:44Speaker 00

  Throughout history, people have spoken of magical lakes, rivers, and streams that not only make you more beautiful, they supposedly cure ailments, diseases, even lead to spiritual awakenings. And that got me thinking, what if this stuff wasn't just storybook legend? Well, after you hear what Rasha and Yvette found, I wouldn't blame you for packing a bag and searching for these healing waters yourself, because I think it's only a matter of time before we see some of this stuff bottled and sold. I'm Ashley Flowers. Welcome back to So Supernatural.

• 1:34Speaker 00

  Hey, y'all, and welcome back to another episode of So Supernatural. I'm Yvette Gentile.

• 1:40Rasha Pecoraro?

  And I'm her sister, Rasha Pecoraro. Today's episode is about healing waters, as in streams, fountains, and other bodies of water that can cure just about anything.

• 2:01Yvette Gentile?

  This is something I am super excited about because I feel like healing waters are something that we could all use. I mean, think about it, even when you're battling something as simple as the common cold, you have aches and pains, a sore throat, nonstop coughing, and maybe even a runny nose. And while all of that is frustrating, no doubt, the thing that really gets me is that feeling of utter helplessness when all you want to do is feel better, but there's no easy cure. Like, yeah, you could take some cough syrup and chug on some orange juice, but at the end of the day, that doesn't make the illness go away. Sure, it might dull the symptoms temporarily, but usually

• 2:43Yvette Gentile?

  you just gotta rest up and really hope that your body will fight back quickly.

• 2:48Rasha Pecoraro?

  And that's just with the smaller things, but living with a chronic condition or a life-threatening disease, that's something else entirely.

• 2:58Rasha Pecoraro?

  If you've followed along on my journey, Annie Vett's journey, you know that we lost our beautiful mother, Fonda Hodel, to breast cancer in 2017. And then I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024. And although I caught it early, we truly believe we lost our mom because she caught it too late. She was diagnosed as stage 2, 3, and I was stage 0. But my journey has been such a battle over the last year because after my double mastectomy, we're talking seven surgeries. And if I could have just jumped into some

• 3:39Rasha Pecoraro?

  healing waters or done anything to take away what I went through, or what our beautiful mother went through, going through cancer, you better believe I would have done that. But I'm here, and we know how hard it is for anyone to have a chronic condition or an illness and go through it, and they can't do it without the support of the people who love them. And I have to send a special shout out to my sister, Yvette, because she held me up, and so many people did. And all of you have and continue to, and I appreciate that.

• 4:14Yvette Gentile?

  I love you more. I love you more.

• 4:17Rasha Pecoraro?

  I love you more.

• 4:19Yvette Gentile?

  I'm bawling over here, by the way. I just think back on mom's journey and I think like if we could have taken her to these particular healing waters that we're going to be talking about today, would she have had this miraculous miracle?

• 4:35Rasha Pecoraro?

  Yeah.

• 4:36Yvette Gentile?

  Right?

• 4:37Rasha Pecoraro?

  Mm-hmm.

• 4:38Yvette Gentile?

  But today we are talking about a particular woman who did live with a chronic illness and her name is Sister Bernadette Morio.

• 4:51Yvette Gentile?

  And you can probably tell from her name that Sister Bernadette is a nun. And in 2008, she's 69 years old. She's living in a convent in the south of France, specifically in a town called Braille. And she's dealing with a crippling neurological condition called Kauda Iquana Syndrome. I don't know if I said that exactly right, but this disease makes it impossible for Bernadette to walk on her own. She has to use leg and back braces just to get around. And on really bad days, she even uses a wheelchair. Even worse, she is in 24/7 constant pain.

• 5:34Yvette Gentile?

  And Bernadette's doctors do everything they can to make her feel more comfortable. They even have her take regular doses of morphine. And as her tolerance gets higher, she has to take even more, to the point where one day, the medication might not even work for her anymore.

• 5:53Rasha Pecoraro?

  And this is not how she wants to live her life. Not being able to fully use her limbs, always using painkillers that prevent her from thinking clearly, and grinding her teeth in agony.

• 6:07Yvette Gentile?

  So one day, Sister Bernadette goes to the doctor and asks if they have any new recommendations. Maybe there's some experimental treatment on the market. At this point, she's willing to try anything. And that's when her doctor asks if she's ever thought of visiting the sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes.

• 6:26Rasha Pecoraro?

  Which is a church in Lourdes, France. It's nearly 600 miles from Bernadette's home in Braille. And it sits near a centuries-old stone grotto. And grotto is just a fancy word for a small picturesque cave, usually one that's man-made. But the grotto in Lourdes is actually formed naturally. Plus, it has a spring flowing right through it. People say the water from the spring can cure any ailment for anyone who simply just climbs in it. It's said to be a gift from God. And as a nun, Sister Bernadette's probably heard of the Lourdes Spring before.

• 7:05Rasha Pecoraro?

  I mean, she may also know that it's been open and reportedly healing people for over 150 years, since 1858, to be exact. Legend says that in February of that year, something miraculous happened to a young girl in Lourdes, whose name was also, coincidentally enough, Bernadette. The original Bernadette was just 14 years old. She came from a very poor family. And each day when Bernadette went into town to run errands, she would walk right past the grotto, which, at the time, only had muddy water. Well, on February 11th, 1858,

• 7:47Rasha Pecoraro?

  during her walk, a sudden sensation came over Bernadette. She had an impulse to stop and pray at the grotto. And that's when she got this vision of a beautiful lady, a woman who later introduced herself as the Virgin Mary, who said that she wanted a church to be built near the grotto. When the vision ended, Bernadette ran home and told her parents what had happened. Only, they didn't believe her. Neither did her friends, her neighbors, or the local priests in town. But the next day, when Bernadette went back to the grotto, she had another visit from Mary.

• 8:27Rasha Pecoraro?

  The same thing happened when she returned the day after that, and the day after that. For weeks, Bernadette saw vision after vision of the Virgin Mary. And by this time, there was a lot of gossip going around about Bernadette. After all, she wouldn't stop talking about her experience. So people were kind of keeping an eye on her and keeping an eye on the grotto. It was to the point where as soon as she would show up, huge crowds would gather around to see if they could spot something for themselves.

• 9:00Yvette Gentile?

  And on February 25th, the day of Bernadette's ninth vision, there was a huge crowd watching. Suddenly, she jumped to her feet and marched to a particular spot inside the grotto. Then she began digging in the mud, scooping it out by the handful. And nobody knew what she was looking for until something came bubbling to the surface. Clean, fresh water. Bernadette cupped her hands and began drinking the water. And then she splashed her face with it too. Finally, she turned to the crowd and told them to do the same. Many of them went home that day unsure of the powers the water held.

• 9:43Yvette Gentile?

  But one week later, something miraculous happened.

• 9:48Rasha Pecoraro?

  A woman with a paralyzed arm was visiting Lourdes on March 1st. And when she heard about Bernadette in the spring, she decided to drink and wash in it too. The instant the woman got out of the water, she was able to move her arm again. Her paralysis was healed, just like that. And she wasn't alone. More sick and injured people came, and many of them were healed by the waters too. Before long, Lourdes got a reputation for its miraculous spring. Over months, years, and then centuries that passed, people from all over the world would visit to see if they could be cured too. Eventually, the Catholic Church built a sanctuary near the spring

• 10:32Rasha Pecoraro?

  so that the nuns and priests could pray with the pilgrims.

• 10:35Yvette Gentile?

  So fast forward to 2008, Sister Bernadette makes the journey to the spring herself. But before she can climb into those healing waters, she prays, and she doesn't ask for anything specific for herself. Instead, she asks God to take care of all the sick or hurt people in the world. Then she goes into the grotto and sits in the single stone tub. It's tiny, it's about the size of a regular bathtub, and there's just enough space for her and a couple of attendants to help her in and out.

• 11:09Yvette Gentile?

  As Sister Bernadette soaks, it doesn't feel like anything special is happening. She doesn't see a bright light or hear a choir of angels singing. It just feels like she's taking a very cold bath because the water's about 50 degrees Fahrenheit. And afterwards, she gets out, thinking, nothing's changed. She goes back to her room, and that's when she starts feeling terrible. Her chronic pain is worse than it was before, and it lasts for three agonizing days.

• 11:45Rasha Pecoraro?

  Which of course, sounds like a nightmare. But Sister Bernadette endures it. Even though her body is suffering, she feels a deep, spiritual peace. Something tells her that whatever is happening to her, it's all part of God's plan. And Sister Bernadette simply trusts that it will work out, which is especially true when she starts hearing an inner voice on the third day telling her to take all her braces off. As soon as she hears those words, the pain transforms into this relaxing warmth, like someone just laid a hot towel on her body. All of the tension and discomfort leaves Sister Bernadette right then and there.

• 12:29Rasha Pecoraro?

  She pulls off the braces she uses to walk. She puts two feet on the floor, and she pushes off of her bed. And for the first time in years, she walks on her own, without using any supports or a cane.

• 12:45Yvette Gentile?

  You may hear that and think, "That's literally the definition of a miracle." But Sister Bernadette knows that the Catholic Church is very strict about what they call "a miracle." She needs a lot of evidence and documentation to prove that God actually healed her. So she goes straight to the doctor, and luckily for her, there's been a physician working for the sanctuary for the last century. Which totally makes sense, because there are so many miraculous recoveries there. The Church likes having someone who can examine the formerly ill patients to confirm that their healings are legitimate.

• 13:25Yvette Gentile?

  And when the doctor completes Sister Bernadette's physical, he finds there's no sign of her chronic condition. She is 100% completely cured.

• 13:40Rasha Pecoraro?

  Which, of course, is incredible. Because usually, the only treatment for Cauda equina syndrome is surgery. It honestly shouldn't be possible for Bernadette to recover without an operation. And yet, that's exactly what happened.

• 13:56Yvette Gentile?

  But to be extra sure, the doctor refers her to a neurologist. Someone who's not affiliated with the Church at all, and who can give an unbiased second opinion. And they agree. Sister Bernadette has been healed. And there is no scientific explanation for it.

• 14:16Rasha Pecoraro?

  Still, the Church needs even more information. If Bernadette did receive a miracle from God, they want to be certain the evidence is airtight. So they bring in another neurologist. Then a pair of specialists who know all about her condition. They even have Sister Bernadette talk to two different psychiatrists in the event that this is just an extreme case of the placebo effect. But none of this happens overnight. In total, more than 33 medical professionals spend a whopping eight years examining Sister Bernadette, all at the request of the Church. During that time, she never has a relapse.

• 14:57Rasha Pecoraro?

  The pain never comes back, and neither do her mobility issues. The doctors couldn't explain it. And the Church officials are in complete agreement. Sister Bernadette experienced a miracle.

• 15:13Yvette Gentile?

  In 2018, the Catholic Church officially recognizes her as the 70th person to have been healed by the waters of Lourdes. And to highlight just how special that is, let me just share some stats with y'all. Each year, about 5 million people visit Lourdes, and only a tiny fraction of them are healed from their ailments. Sister Bernadette is the most recent person to be officially cured. So again, that's just 70 healings. But unofficially, the number is actually closer to 7,000. The Church doesn't recognize most of these because, like we mentioned earlier,

• 15:56Yvette Gentile?

  they have very strict standards about what counts as a miracle.

• 16:01Rasha Pecoraro?

  Well, official or not, 7,000 healings out of millions of visitors is actually a pretty small percentage. And it could be because, according to the Catholic Church, the waters of Lourdes only work on people with unwavering faith. The idea is that God works through those who trust in Him. So presumably, if you show up for healing, but you're harboring any skepticism whatsoever, well, then no miracle for you.

• 16:32Yvette Gentile?

  Now, I don't want to rule anything out because I am a faith-based person, but I wasn't convinced that faith alone is what heals people until I heard this. Scientists have studied the water in the spring. They've checked to see if there are any special minerals with medicinal properties, or if there's anything else unique about it. And do y'all want to know what they found? They found nothing out of the ordinary, just trace amounts of minerals that you'd expect to find in spring water. As far as anyone can tell, the water at Lourdes is just ordinary fresh water. So whatever makes this place special,

• 17:15Yvette Gentile?

  it can't be explained by the spring's composition. Which might mean faith is a factor after all.

• 17:25Rasha Pecoraro?

  But it turns out, there are a bunch of healing springs all over the world. Places that have no affiliation with organized religion. And those springs do things that are just as miraculous, including one body of water that literally erupts in fire.

• 17:49Rasha Pecoraro?

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• 18:29Rasha Pecoraro?

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• 19:10Rasha Pecoraro?

  There's a special place in Arkansas known as Basin Spring Park. It's in a town called Eureka Springs, about a six-hour drive from Dallas, Texas. And it actually has a pretty small population. Today, only about 2,000 people live there. But in the days before Europeans arrived in Arkansas, Basin Spring Park was home to the indigenous Sioux people. According to a legend hundreds of years old, one Sioux chief's daughter had a medical condition that made her go blind. Then one day, she heard a story about a magical spring that flowed through the land we now know as Eureka Springs. Rumors said its waters could heal people who bathed in them.

• 19:55Rasha Pecoraro?

  And the chief's daughter thought, hey, it's worth a shot. So as the story goes, she went to its banks and knelt down. Then she scooped up some water and splashed it right in her eyes. And once she wiped the dripping water away and opened her eyelids, she was able to see again. The spring had healed her.

• 20:18Yvette Gentile?

  From there, word spread. Everyone, and I mean everyone, was fascinated by the magical healing waters in Basin Spring Park. By the time the Europeans reached the region in the late 1800s, the stream was famously known for its miracle cures. So the new settlers established Eureka Springs in 1879, right on top of the healing waters. This way, people could visit it without ever needing to leave town.

• 20:48Rasha Pecoraro?

  And in just three years, Eureka Springs grew from a tiny little village to a bustling city with a population of 10,000 people. Its main claim to fame was the Healing Springs.

• 21:03Yvette Gentile?

  Around that time, a doctor named Alva Jackson moved there with his 26-year-old son, who had issues with his eyes. It's said that when Alva took his son to the spring, he splashed water on his eyes and he was healed too. Afterward, Alva actually incorporated the spring's waters into his medical practice. He used them to treat his wounded and sick patients for the next 24 years. Alva also boiled the water down to make it extra concentrated, bottled it, and then sold it to the people who lived out of town. That way, those who weren't able to travel to Eureka Springs could still experience the healing.

• 21:46Rasha Pecoraro?

  But here's the thing. Back in the 1800s, scientists did a lot of studies on the springs. They wanted to see if there was some mineral or other ingredient that could explain its restorative properties. But researchers found nothing.

• 22:03Rasha Pecoraro?

  Just like the springs at Lourdes, it's another case where the water seems to be able to heal people, but no one knows why.

• 22:11Yvette Gentile?

  Well, luckily, I mean, we have plenty of other springs to investigate because there are bodies of water with alleged healing properties all over the United States. Take Sedona, Arizona, which is very famous for its healing hot springs.

• 22:26Rasha Pecoraro?

  Actually, the entire town of Sedona is supposed to have supernatural healing properties. I've always wanted to go there. There's a lot of local lore that says Sedona was built on top of a natural energy vortex, which would mean that Sedona is a bit like a rechargeable battery, if you will, but for supernatural energy. And because of that, it seems like Sedona is almost magical. It's said that people can do things there that they can't do anywhere else in the world.

• 23:00Yvette Gentile?

  According to a travel writer named Roger Naylor, some people go to Sedona to have spiritual awakenings. Other people believe they can manifest their desires into reality there. If they have, I don't know, an old pain or trauma that they haven't been able to let go of, or even if they want to become a different kind of person, but don't know how, they can get to Sedona and supposedly they'll be transformed.

• 23:27Rasha Pecoraro?

  It's not clear what makes Sedona so special or how it became a vortex. But a lot of people, including a blogger named Reona Lash, think it could be because there are huge crystals buried deep under the city.

• 23:42Yvette Gentile?

  Yeah, you know, when I think about this, Mom went to Sedona, Russia. I don't know if you remember that.

• 23:47Rasha Pecoraro?

  She did?

• 23:48Yvette Gentile?

  Mm-hmm. And it's incredibly well-known for its crystals. And I don't think that's where it started for Mom. I think it started many, many years ago. But I do remember when she came back, she brought all this beautiful amethyst and rose quartz. And this is why we absolutely love crystals so much. But it's said that the crystals in Sedona specifically have been put there by some other powerful beings. And these crystals generate mystical powers that people can tap into.

• 24:20Rasha Pecoraro?

  I think it's why so many people go to Sedona in search of spiritual enlightenment and healing. But people believe that the natural hot springs in town are the nucleus to all of this, and that they can cure whatever ails them.

• 24:36Yvette Gentile?

  As breathtaking as the Sedona Springs are, there's an equally fascinating body of water in St. Anne, Jamaica. It's called the Fire Water Mineral Healing Spring, and it's well off the beaten path. The quickest way to get there would be to start in Kingston, Jamaica, and then you have to take a bus to a community known as Spanish Town. Before taking a taxi down a tiny dirt road, and I don't know if y'all have ever been to Jamaica, but these roads are tiny and they're windy. But if you follow this route, eventually you'll find a wooden wall made of branches that have been spray painted red and blue. And behind

• 25:15Yvette Gentile?

  them is a tiny spring about the size of a jacuzzi. It may not seem like much to look at, until the water ignites.

• 25:27Rasha Pecoraro?

  All it takes is the tiniest match against this body of water for flames to erupt on the surface. Because as it turns out, the spring has a high concentration of natural gas in it. And these gases are flammable. So you can literally light the surface of the spring on fire, and then just swim right through the blaze. There are actually videos on YouTube of people sitting in the pool, which I've watched, and they're surrounded by flames. I have no idea how they avoid getting burnt, but gotta chalk it up to a unique experience, I guess.

• 26:01Yvette Gentile?

  But that's not even the main thing that makes Fire Water Mineral Healing Springs so special. Allegedly, a quick dip in the firewaters, whether they're lit or not, can cure things like arthritis, as well as a variety of other skin conditions. They're also said to rejuvenate and refresh people. In other words, if you swim in the firewater, you can come out looking younger and more beautiful than before. So to be clear, I don't think the spring is a literal fountain of youth, but it sounds like it does come pretty darn close.

• 26:34Rasha Pecoraro?

  These stories are interesting for a few different reasons. First of all, they show that healing waters can appear anywhere and are everywhere. In France, in the American South, in Jamaica, as we've seen. And there are even reports of healing pools outside of San Francisco, close to where you are, Yvette. Have you been to any of them?

• 26:56Yvette Gentile?

  As a matter of fact, yes. One of my favorites is in Kalistoga. It's a natural hot springs and it's amazing. It's so beautiful.

• 27:04Rasha Pecoraro?

  Okay, well, next time I'm in town, we have to take a trip. And look, many of these springs have nothing to do with organized religion or Catholicism. The Sioux chief's daughter was healed before a single missionary ever set foot in Arkansas. And the vortexes in Sedona don't have much to do with traditional Christian philosophy either. The people who come to these springs don't need to pray to or believe in a God, and they don't need to follow a special ritual. All they need to do is come and be open to receiving and experiencing healing. Which begs the question, is it possible that these healing properties don't have anything to do with religion?

• 27:48Rasha Pecoraro?

  I mean, could it be that the stream's healing properties really do have a basis in science? But it's one that we don't quite understand yet?

• 27:57Yvette Gentile?

  You might be on to something with that, Raj, because there is one body of healing water that science can account for. It's a really popular one that some of our listeners might have been to before. It's called the Blue Lagoon in Iceland. Back in 1976, a geothermal power plant opened about 45 minutes outside of the capital city of Reykjavik. It worked by pumping hot water out of the ground. Then, when they were done getting energy from that hot water, they dumped the now slightly cooler water into the lagoon. The natural minerals in the soil turned it blue, which is why it's called the Blue Lagoon. And by the way, when I say slightly cooler water,

• 28:41Yvette Gentile?

  I mean, it was about the temperature of bath water. So still very nice and warm. Come the early 1980s, people from all over Reykjavik and the surrounding area were visiting the Blue Lagoon to swim in it. It was this safe, peaceful, cozy getaway, not too far from the city. So it was only natural that it would turn into a tourist destination over time. But then something really interesting happened. Some of those visitors had psoriasis, a condition that causes an itchy, red rash. And there's no cure for psoriasis in theory. But when people with the condition swam in the Blue Lagoon, they'd come out, not treated, but cured.

• 29:27Yvette Gentile?

  Like their psoriasis never came back after that one single swim. And I want to be clear, that's not all the waters accomplished. When healthy people, I mean, those with no history of psoriasis, took a dip, they'd sometimes come out looking younger. Like the waters took literal years off their faces.

• 29:52Yvette Gentile?

  Between 1994 and 2015, a group of scientists and doctors came out to study the water. And they found that the lagoon was full of unique minerals, as well as bacteria and microbes, ones that could actually help heal dry skin. So in other words, the Blue Lagoon wasn't magical or supernatural. It just had some qualities that made it healthy. Today, its waters are officially recognized as a psoriasis treatment by Iceland's National Health Service. Interestingly enough, it's not recognized as a full-on cure yet,

• 30:33Yvette Gentile?

  even though many people say their psoriasis never came back after their first visit to the lagoon. So this is the thing, you still got to wonder if other healing waters are also chock full of medicinal organisms and minerals.

• 30:48Rasha Pecoraro?

  Which brings us back to that sanctuary at Lourdes. Like we mentioned earlier, scientists studied the water there too. And they found nothing out of the ordinary. The same thing is true of Eureka Springs. If there were special bacteria and minerals in those springs, you'd think the researchers would have noticed it. So while it's possible that the Blue Lagoon can be explained through science, I don't think that's true of every healing pool. Plus, Sister Bernadette didn't have a skin condition. She had a neurological disorder. You can't treat that by applying minerals and organisms to the outside of your body.

• 31:27Yvette Gentile?

  Exactly, which is why I want to circle back to something that you said earlier. What if there is a scientific explanation for all of these waters? But it's something so advanced that even our top scientists today can't crack it.

• 31:44Rasha Pecoraro?

  Interesting that you bring that up because some people think an ancient, high-tech society might have something to do with it. They feel that these streams, springs, and pools may all get their power from the lost city of Atlantis.

• 32:07Rasha Pecoraro?

  In Arkansas's Ozark Mountains, there's a formation called Magnetic Mountain. And for at least 150 years, the locals have treated the land as sacred or special.

• 32:19Yvette Gentile?

  Yeah, and it's said that if anyone climbs the mountain, they'll sense some kind of energy in the air. People report feeling anxious or nervous when they hike on its trails. But they say if you can push past those negative feelings and make your way up to the top of the slope, you'll come upon a river called Magnetic Springs. And it got its name because supposedly, any metal object that's dipped into the water instantly becomes a magnet.

• 32:50Rasha Pecoraro?

  Now, no one knows how the Magnetic Springs work. They seem to defy scientific explanation, as many of these healing waters do. But the locals think there's something spiritual, even holy, about Magnetic Mountain.

• 33:06Yvette Gentile?

  So you gotta ask yourself, what gives Magnetic Mountain its unique properties? Well, since science has yet to explain it, here's one wild theory that we love.

• 33:19Rasha Pecoraro?

  Deep within the mountain, there's said to be some ancient machinery that's been buried for millennia. According to Arkansas-based blogger Liz Harrell, many locals think its ruins are actually from the Kingdom of Atlantis. So let's jump into the legend of Atlantis for a second.

• 33:39Rasha Pecoraro?

  The nation is famous for being ancient and lost, possibly a work of fiction entirely. But as the story goes, Atlantis was founded more than 10,000 years ago. For context, that was still during the Stone Age. Most human beings were hunter-gatherers who didn't have permanent homes, meaning there weren't many who were thinking of building big cities yet. But the people of Atlantis were.

• 34:07Yvette Gentile?

  Though that may be because they weren't fully human, rumor has it they were demi-gods, meaning they were half-god and half-human being.

• 34:18Rasha Pecoraro?

  Exactly. Now, nobody knows where the Kingdom of Atlantis was, but it's said that it stretched across a massive island chain. It could have been in the Atlantic Ocean, or maybe even in the Arctic. There are so many different theories, but they were said to have traveled all over the world, trading with other populations that were less developed than them.

• 34:43Yvette Gentile?

  It's also said that the people of Atlantis had very advanced technology. 10,000 years ago, most human beings hadn't even figured out how to farm yet. But the people of Atlantis understood planting cycles, fertilization, and architecture. In fact, they may have been capable of things we don't even know how to do today. Some legends say that they could harness renewable energy from, guess what, giant crystals.

• 35:14Rasha Pecoraro?

  It's also been said that they could levitate or use death lasers in order to defend their city from enemies. And that they mastered nuclear power, flight, and may have even been in contact with aliens from other planets.

• 35:29Yvette Gentile?

  So we're not just talking about a civilization that was advanced for its time. It was highly advanced for any time.

• 35:38Rasha Pecoraro?

  Honestly, there are so many crazy and interesting details, enough to do an entire episode on Atlantis, which, by the way, will be coming soon. So consider this just a little preview. But for now, all you need to know is this. So as the years went on, the Atlanteans supposedly became arrogant. They saw themselves as better than the rest of society. They used their entitlement to justify their greed. And they used their smarts to cheat their trading partners and one another. So the gods decided to punish them for their lack of morality. One night, the earth shook and fire rained down from the sky.

• 36:23Rasha Pecoraro?

  To me, of course, it sounds like a volcanic eruption or maybe even an asteroid crash. But to this day, no one knows exactly what destroyed Atlantis, only that the islands sank to the bottom of the sea. After that, Atlantis was no more, and its people went extinct. All that remained were pieces of ancient technology, which were buried at the bottom of the ocean. Though some think that their technologies, like these powerful crystals and other machinery, may have ended up in other parts of the world, perhaps traded with other civilizations on their travels. And if those crystals were part of the gifts or goods they gave to others,

• 37:06Rasha Pecoraro?

  then maybe that included people living in the Ozark Mountain area at the time. As the years passed, those crystals were either left behind or buried in the mountain range and are still hidden there today, which might be what gives Magnetic Mountain its highly-charged and energetic properties. Now, if that theory is true, then it might also explain what's going on in Sedona, Arizona. Because remember, the people there had a giant crystal theory too. There's of course no hard evidence suggesting these healing waters got their properties from Atlantis, or charged crystals for that matter. And while it does make for a pretty awesome story,

• 37:48Rasha Pecoraro?

  it's more likely that there's some very real and grounded science behind what makes the waters so special.

• 37:55Yvette Gentile?

  We just don't have the answers to that yet. And it's, you know what, it's looking less and less like we might ever get one. Because a lot of these bodies of water don't work like they used to. Or as the legends say, they once did centuries or even decades ago. Remember Eureka Springs? The town in Arkansas where the Sioux chief's daughter reportedly regained her vision? Well, those waters don't heal anyone these days. And the population of the area has seemingly declined, maybe because of it. In fact, they say people should avoid drinking the water in Eureka Springs, or even touching it, because it's dangerously polluted. In recent years, the local sewage lines leaked into the water,

• 38:39Yvette Gentile?

  and now it's full of human waste. It's just so sad, especially when you think about what the spring once was, right? For so many people.

• 38:50Rasha Pecoraro?

  Totally. Like, as humans, we can't have nice things. So in that way, we have something in common with the ancient Atlanteans. In our arrogance, we destroyed something so powerful and so beneficial.

• 39:06Yvette Gentile?

  And unfortunately, it's not just the waters at Eureka Springs. The Dead Sea in Israel is supposed to be able to cure all kinds of conditions. Everything from dry skin to arthritis to muscle soreness. But it's starting to go dry as global temperatures rise. Every year, it gets roughly three to five feet smaller in diameter. And another healing body of water called Warm Mineral Springs on Florida's west coast is supposed to help treat arthritis. But local developers want to build apartment buildings nearby. Even though the construction process could release all kinds of chemicals and other pollution into the water, they still want to do this.

• 39:47Rasha Pecoraro?

  It's so heartbreaking to think about because it signals just how much our relationship with Mother Earth has changed over the centuries. And not for the better, which is why I wonder if maybe she just doesn't want to share her healing gifts with us anymore.

• 40:05Yvette Gentile?

  Russia, I think you're absolutely right. I mean, it goes to show how climate change might not only be impacting our natural environment, but it might also be ruining something that is supernatural as well. And I can't help but think about how many people there are in this world. And just how many could be helped if we weren't threatening the natural tools right here, right at our disposal.

• 40:30Rasha Pecoraro?

  Which is why it's so important for us to take special care of Mother Earth. The love she's shown us is something we should never take for granted. And before we end today's episode, I want to leave you with some very special, very sacred words. And this happens to be the state motto of Hawaii. But I'm sharing it with you because I feel like it really drives this message home. Uama ka ea o kaaina i kapono. And this translates to the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness. So let's remember, Mother Earth isn't just something to admire.

• 41:14Rasha Pecoraro?

  She's something to protect. She's given us wonders beyond our comprehension, even ones that we've yet to unravel. And it's up to us to ensure that her magic never fades.

• 41:40Yvette Gentile?

  This is So Supernatural, an AudioChuck original, produced by Crime House. You can connect with us on Instagram at So Supernatural Pod and visit our website at SoSupernaturalPodcast.com. Join Rash and me next Friday for an all-new episode.

• 42:00Yvette Gentile?

  So what do you think Chuck? Do you approve?

• 42:06Speaker 03

  I've been having a hard time trying to explain what Midnight Burger is. How about I let them give it a shot?

• 42:12Speaker 04

  Your podcast is amazing.

• 42:13Speaker 05

  It's such an amazing show altogether.

• 42:15Speaker 00

  You guys have actively ruined all other audio dramas for me.

• 42:19Speaker 06

  You can't get people to understand the humaning that happens in this damn show.

• 42:22Speaker 05

  Keep doing what you're doing, because it's awesome.

• 42:24Speaker 07

  You might not think it, but you are far more important than you realize. Thank you.

• 42:29Speaker 03

  At the nexus of all things, there is a diner. Look for Midnight Burger on your favorite podcasting app, or just go to weopenat6.com.