In a gripping account that blurs the line between the natural and the supernatural, animation director Larry Whitaker—whose credits include “Tiny Tunes” and “Space Jam”—recalled a chilling experience that left him shaken and transformed. Speaking with L.A. Marzulli, Whitaker described a spiritual encounter while staying in Thiruvananthapuram, India. What began as an ordinary business trip quickly turned into a vivid confrontation with evil beyond the physical realm.
Whitaker awoke in the middle of the night to find the lights in his room dimming unnaturally. What followed was a sight he says defies scientific explanation: a dense black mass, thicker than any natural shadow, began sweeping through the room. It moved with intelligence and purpose, not like fog or smoke, but as something alive. He described it as “blacker than black,” a volumetric darkness that carried an unmistakable malevolent presence.
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/**/As the entity advanced, tendrils of it reached out toward him—one touching his tongue. The sensation, Whitaker said, was like a powerful electric shock that left him paralyzed. In that terrifying moment, unable to move or speak clearly, something inside him rose up. He managed to say, “The Lord is holy.” At that declaration, the darkness reacted violently. It instantly flattened out and exited the room in a flash, as if repelled by the holiness of God’s name.
Still shaken the next day, Whitaker shared the event with Christian friends, who believed it may have been a form of spiritual retaliation. Earlier during his trip, he had boldly refused to participate in a local Shiva festival and had instead told a young Indian boy, “Remember Jesus.” It was a seemingly innocent comment, but one that could have stirred spiritual opposition in a region steeped in strong religious traditions.
The spiritual tension didn’t end there. The following day, while washing his hands at a seaside restaurant, Whitaker heard an unnatural growling sound emanating from a dead palm tree behind him. With no one else around and no animals in sight, he spoke against it, and the noise stopped.
In another moment of supernatural intervention, Whitaker shared how he once heard a voice while driving tell him to slow down. Seconds later, a herd of deer darted across the road—an accident narrowly avoided. These experiences, he believes, underscore the reality of spiritual warfare and divine protection for believers.
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Whitaker’s experience serves as a sobering reminder of the unseen battle that rages around us and the authority believers have through our faith in Christ. As Whitaker put it, “I didn’t fight it. I just declared who God was—and that was enough.”
Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
