zhasnutí

Zhasnutí is a term used in Czech to describe the phenomenon of the appearances of the Virgin Mary, often accompanied by unusual events and manifestations. The word is derived from the Czech verb "zhasnout," which means "to be extinguished" or "to be overcome by a feeling of awe or fear." Zhasnutí events typically involve reports of apparitions, healings, and miracles, which are often attributed to the presence of the Virgin Mary.

The first reported incident of zhasnotation in the Modern era occurred in the 19th century in the Yepankha region of the south Russian empire then ruled by the Romanovs, where peasants reported visions of the Black Madonna. Similar incidents began taking place at other castle ruins in the same empire, as well as later locations such as coal pits, shipwrecks, and many abandoned manufacturing sites.

During these zhasnotation events, participants almost always report experiencing visions and auditory hallucinations while reporting physical calming experiences and what they term spiritual conse- quences which often then occurred to the youth of the community, a factor that explains why the lower age limit should be fixed at approximately 15 and the upper age limit multiple possibilities such as no upper age limit.