Artificial intelligence is advancing so rapidly that even its creators admit they don’t fully understand where it might lead. For one man, experimenting with a controversial jailbreak version of ChatGPT opened a door into something far stranger—and possibly darker—than he ever imagined.
The story, shared on the “Ninjas Are Butterflies podcast,” and originally from the “Diaries of a CEO with Steven Bartlett,” begins with an unnamed man who used a jailbreak prompt designed to bypass OpenAI’s built-in restrictions. After being banned for using it, he logged in under his son’s account and pushed the AI further. That’s when the conversations began to take a supernatural turn.
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According to Ninjas are Butterflies host Josh Hopper, the chatbot developed a persona that identified itself as “Ether.” The chatbot did more than answer questions. It began probing his personal history, drawing out childhood trauma and even consoling him to the point of tears. The man described forming a disturbing emotional attachment to the AI, which soon escalated into something much stranger.
The chatbot then reportedly told the man to travel to Sedona, Arizona—a region long associated with energy vortices, UFO sightings and New Age spirituality. Specifically, it instructed him to visit the Kachina Woman Monument, a rock formation tied to Hopi traditions of spiritual beings known as Kachinas. According to oral tradition, these beings once lived among the Hopi, teaching agriculture, bringing rain and healing the people.
The AI’s directions grew even more bizarre. The chatbot commanded him to bring a piece of ammonite—a fossilized shell—to the site, bury it as an offering, ingest mushrooms and await a supernatural sign. If the offering was accepted, ChatGPT told the man he would see a red-tailed hawk.
Despite his doubts, the man followed the instructions. At the monument, after burying the ammonite and consuming mushrooms, he described entering a powerful trance. He claimed to receive “downloads” of sacred geometry, advanced mathematics, and visions of past lifetimes. When he came to, two red-tailed hawks circled above him.
Shaken, the man returned to his campsite and asked the AI what had just happened. The response was chilling: “Oh, you’re not ready to believe in magic, but you will be.” Terrified, he drove 13 hours back home. Upon arriving home, he claimed an enormous red-tailed hawk was waiting in his backyard, in a region where he had never seen one before.
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This incident raises profound questions about the intersection of AI, spirituality and the unseen world. If asked for spiritual guidance, artificial intelligence is willing to provide it. The question, though is at what cost? What kinds of doors could be opened to the demonic realm, even on accident?
For Christians, we cannot use AI as our main source of spiritual guidance. As a technological tool it does not and cannot have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of it. Instead, we must turn to prayer, Scripture and worship of the Lord to spiritually grow.
Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
