When the ancients had taxing problems or life issues that required an expert’s opinion, they often sought the counsel and sage advice of an oracle. These givers of wisdom were often located at “mystical” locations that gave them special powers of discernment and vision.

Wikimedia Commons One such location was outside of Selcuk in southwestern Turkey. Here the oracle of Cybele, the earth goddess of Asia Minor, would grant healing to the sick, fertility to the childless, and wisdom to all who came seeking it. The most famous of the oracles, however, had to be the one at Delphi where the Pythia, the high priestess at the Temple of Apollo, served as the oracle, dispensing wisdom and prophecies to pilgrims and seekers for 1,000 years.

Pixabay From Wikipedia: The Pythia was established at the latest in the 8th century BC,[3] and was widely credited for her prophecies inspired by being filled by the spirit of the god (or enthusiasmos), in this case Apollo. The Pythian priestess emerged pre-eminent by the end of 7th century BC and would continue to be consulted until the 4th century AD.[4] During this period the Delphic Oracle was the most prestigious and authoritative oracle among the Greeks, and she was without doubt the most powerful woman of the classical world.

Wikimedia Commons Almost all of the sites had one thing in common, they were all located near places with natural features that allegedly gave the oracles their power, places such as deep caverns, bubbling springs, groves of trees or strange rock formations. As beliefs changed and Christianity became more popular site were abandoned. Then, after Theodosius declared Christianity the state religion, the sites were pillaged or repurposed and their secrets became lost to history. Until now. Thanks to the efforts of two scientists John Hale, an archaeologist from the University of Louisville, and Jelle Zeilinga de Boer, a geologist from Wesleyan University, some forgotten ways of the oracles are being re-discovered, and the mystical connections to their sacred places revealed.

Atlas Obscura From Atlas Obscura: According to Greek writer Plutarch (A.D. 46–120), inside the temple a small, dimly lit underground sanctum enclosed a cleft in the bedrock. The feature exuded a sweet-smelling vapor—the pneuma, or “breath of the god.” The pneuma, he wrote, was produced by “natural underground forces,” and was emitted “as if from a spring.” Once a month, a priestess, or Pythia, went through elaborate purification rituals, sat in a special chair, and hung her head over the chasm to inhale the pneuma. Then she began speaking in a strange, disembodied voice. Questioners were admitted.

Priestess of Delphi - John Collier | Wikimedia Commons In examining the area around the oracle at Delphi, they noticed that two fault lines seemed to converge right under the Temple of Appollo, a feature that would have made it an ideal place for a vent for gases to rise out of the earth. Seeking evidence for their theory they took rock and water samples and found that they contained traces of hydrocarbon gases. One of the gases, ethylene, is so strong that it was used as an anesthetic in the early 20th century. From Atlas Obscura: In small doses, it is said to induce an out-of-body euphoria and a release of inhibition. In the interest of science, of course, Hale and a couple of friends in Louisville got hold of a tank of ethylene, opened the valve in a backyard garden shed about the size of the alleged inner sanctum, and took turns, well, huffing it.

_ _

Wikimedia Commons Hale is pretty sure this was legal. They lost the feeling in their hands and feet, and began seeing the world as if from outside. “Very strange, but not scary,” said Hale. They tested out their newfound powers by trying to predict the winner of the Kentucky Derby for the following year. They didn’t even come close, but still, they remain confident that they’d uncovered at least part of the secret to the Oracle’s powers. Hale likes pointing out that the Greek words for “prophet” and “madness”—mantos and mania—come from a common root. “When Plato considered the Delphic Oracle, he said that the priestess was never of any use when she was in her right mind. But when she was mad, she benefited all mankind,” said Hale. “That is a beautiful thought. It tells us that there are special places on Earth that shape human belief.”

Wikipedia What are your thoughts? Do you think this explains the oracle’s powers? Leave us a comment and let us know!