Imagine that you were walking in the woods one day, along a deserted highway, or over
the crisp white sands of a quiet, secluded beach. It might all feel quite peaceful,
until suddenly everything changes. The place you were is not the place you are
now. You’ve been transported instantaneously to a totally different and alien landscape. It
probably sounds like the stuff of fairy tales and nightmares. But, actually,
there are claims from all over the world that this kind of experience is very, very real.
This is Unveiled, and today we’re taking a closer
look at four secret portal stories that will make you question reality.
Do you need the big questions answered? Are you constantly curious? Then why not subscribe
to Unveiled for more clips like this one? And ring the bell for more thought-provoking content!
For the purposes of today’s video, a secret portal is a hidden doorway of some kind,
through which its discoverer can walk and beyond which is revealed a whole new world.
A seemingly physically impossible place, and yet it’s there right in front of them. Again,
it sounds like it shouldn’t happen, but the following four tales beg to differ.
Up first, we head to Sri Lanka, to the holy city of Anuradhapura,
and to a quiet corner of a particular park known as Ranmasu Uyana. Here,
there is a seeming chart or map carved into the rock face, thought by many to be at least six
thousand years old. The incredible design is named the Sakwala Chakraya, and its deliberate,
geometric layout - marked by precise sections, circles, and apparent depictions of fish - has
led to it being branded by many as a stargate. As a doorway of some kind, currently locked,
but one that could one day open to allow human beings access to the wider universe. At first
glance, it certainly looks like something not of this world… with some speculating
that there could also be alien life on the other side, waiting for us to break through.
The problem is that, actually, so little is known about the Sakwala Chakraya,
at all. This obviously helps to establish it as an intriguing place of potential
alien activity… but there are also some other, less other-worldly theories around.
For example, some believe that it’s merely a plan for an ancient city; others argue that it
represents the nearby Danigala Mountain, which has a bizarrely flat and circular top. Nothing
is known for sure, however, and its legend has grown both within Sri Lanka and among
outsiders looking in. For those who believe that it could be a portal, its location close
to both plants and water could be key, as well as its relative seclusion. The Ranmasu Uyana
park might just be the perfect arrival point for an incoming alien group. But, what do you
think? Is this unusual carving simply a work of Earth, or is there something else behind it?
Next, to our second possible portal, and this time to the Hayu Marca Mountain in Peru. Built into
a prominent rock face, there’s what’s known as Aramu Muru, or the Gate of the Gods. To look at,
it’s less immediately intricate than Sri Lanka’s Sakwala Chakraya,
but at the center-bottom there is a clear alcove - which some believe to be a doorway. Again,
very little is known about the Gate of the Gods, although it is believed to be
some kind of abandoned project, left by the Inca Civilization centuries ago. The
legends that surround it, though, hint at more than just a building job gone wrong.
In one story, it’s said that an ancient Incan leader once traveled to the doorway with a golden
disk, supposedly sent from the sky. He then pressed that disk into a circular impression
inside the door, and it opened… spilling light into the outside world. In another variation,
it’s said that the Gate of the Gods has been opened numerous times in ancient history,
to allow particularly heroic figures to pass through and to meet with divine characters. Today,
the site is protected by law, and there is precious little archaeological research
allowed to take place there. But Aramu Muru has become a place of pilgrimage for some people,
looking for a spiritual experience. It’s variously said that there is
an overwhelming feeling of calm as you move close to the door,
leading increasing numbers to conclude that this is more than just a hole in a mountain.
Onto our third alleged portal, and this time hidden within the cavernous expanse of the
Grand Canyon, USA. In October 2022, news broke of an apparent hidden doorway discovered in the rock,
and it was swiftly speculated that it might be some kind of alien entrance-and-exit point on
Earth. To date, that story hasn’t really developed any further… but it actually wasn’t the first
claim of its sort. The most infamous dates back to 1961, when it’s said that one Hank Krastman was
led blindfolded into the Canyon by his friend, a Hopi Native American called Kopavi. More broadly,
the term “Kopavi” actually refers to an open, metaphysical door toward enlightenment within
some Native American cultures. And that link would certainly prove telling here.
After an hours-long journey, it’s said that Krastman had his blindfold removed,
and he was told to place his hand on a nearby rockface. Only, when he did, his hand went right
through. It’s claimed (by Krastman in a series of books) that what looked like rock was actually a
veil of some kind. And, stepping through, he was met with a series of tunnels and caves,
before the path broke out into an entire city. None of it showed on the surface of Earth,
and yet it was all there before Krastman, waiting to be explored. Here’s where the details begin to
fade away, though, as it doesn’t appear that Krastman spent a great deal of time actually
in this secret place. But, even so, if it were ever to be found again, then it would surely turn
the Canyon into an even more mysterious and incredible area than it already is.
And, finally, there are actually a few contenders for our fourth secret portal,
all carrying various claims that they are the true gates of Hell. As many religions provide
some variation on Hell - the polar opposite to Heaven, and where you don’t want to go
when you die - it’s perhaps little wonder that humankind would want to know how to get there,
if only to avoid it. Naturally, there are some volcanoes rumored to be the bridge between
here and there - including Hekla, in Iceland, which the ancient Norse dubbed Hell’s Gateway,
and the Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua, which is known locally as the Mouth of Hell. Elsewhere,
there’s the Darvaza Gas Crater in Turkmenistan, a collapsed natural gas field that’s constantly
burning, and has been dubbed the Door to Hell. All of those certainly fulfill the fire and brimstone
archetype. However, there are some other, less traditional rumored portals, as well.
One such place is the Fengdu Ghost City in China; an entire complex of statues, shrines and temples,
with most geared towards the Underworld. Here, there are centuries-old depictions of sinners
being tortured, and there are various beliefs and superstitions relating to your passage to
the afterlife. Meanwhile, across the Pacific Ocean there is another Hell’s Gate claimant;
in Hawaii’s Waipio Valley. Along a stretch of lost land now covered in sand,
the local folklore says that travelers will find the entrance to Lua-o-Milu, a traditional Hawaiian
iteration of the Underworld. Importantly, there are not yet any widely supported claims
that any one person has ever visited Hell through any of the proposed entrances above,
but all are littered with legend about the horrors that might lay beyond them.
So, what’s your verdict? Are portals to other dimensions, hidden places,
and even religious realms possible? Which of the examples covered in this video has left
you most convinced? An ancient carved gate in Sri Lanka; a curious and unexplained opening in Peru;
a hidden rock that hides a city in America; and a long list of alleged bridges between
this world and Hell. Those are four secret portal stories to make you question reality.
What do you think? Is there anything we missed? Let us know in the comments, check out these other
clips from Unveiled, and make sure you subscribe and ring the bell for our latest content.