Over the past week, Ugandan social media has been awash with videos of people thronging the home of one of the residents in Gayaza to worship what they believe is Mother Mary that appeared in the bedroom window of the house.
The figure is accentuated when sunlight hits the window hundreds of hundreds of residents from Manyangwa and other neighbouring communities. Many came to worship and pray in front of the window, while others brought offerings.
Some of the locals were seen trying to touch the window to draw blessings as others shed tears, happy to witness a miracle.
The house owner, Innocent Kugonza a priest at St Javiira Church, attempted several times to urge the residents not to crowd his home in vain.
In one address, he told the residents that he has been advised by his seniors at the church to discourage the big crowd at his home, as he doesn’t have the means to handle it.
“I only have one toilet here, and I don’t have an ambulance in case there is an emergency,” he pleaded on Friday.
Residents however continued to throng the home, forcing him over the weekend to remove the window and replace it.
Phenomenon explained
Here below we look at some of the possible explanations for the figure in the window.
1. Refraction and Reflection: Glass can create reflective and refractive effects, especially when exposed to sunlight. The combination of light, shadows, and reflections from the surroundings might create shapes or figures that appear to resemble familiar forms, like religious symbols or figures.
2. Pareidolia: This is a psychological phenomenon where people perceive recognizable images in random or ambiguous visual patterns. The brain often interprets random patterns of light, shadow, and colour as meaningful images, which could explain why people see a figure resembling Mother Mary.
3. Condensation or Residue Patterns: Sometimes, condensation, dust, or residue on glass can create patterns that look like figures when light hits at certain angles. These patterns might only be visible under specific lighting conditions, such as sunlight.
4. Structural Imperfections in the Glass: Small imperfections or uneven surfaces in the glass might produce distortions when light passes through, forming shapes that resemble figures.
While the perception of such figures can have a strong emotional and cultural impact, the phenomenon is likely due to a combination of natural light behaviour and the human tendency to find patterns in visual stimuli.
Similar Incident
Just days earlier in Masindi District,, a similar incident drew hundreds of residents
For over two weeks, locals rushed to a hill located in Rwensa in Nyagahya sub-county to witness the appearance of Mother Mary.
This was triggered by a cattle harder to claimed to have seen a bright light appear on top of the heal in the semblance of the mother of Jesus.
Other people who went to this spot claimed to have seen spoken directly to Mother Mary.
The local Catholic Church leadership however, called for further investigations.