Several years ago, since returning from PNG to the USA, Wikkum had been experiencing dream filled with angry spirits, and the home was full of spiteful and bad energy affecting the occupants' health and mood negatively. One night, he woke up frozen, sensing the house surrounded and being attacked by spirits. He quickly woke Lizzie and her mother and they huddled together to protect each other from the vengeful spirits, since family bonds hold great power and protection. Wikkum then remembered that he had absentmindedly brought back a mask from PNG. It is said that taking a mask of someone whom you are not close to, will bring negative energy and angry spirits into your home. The next morning after Wikkum took care of the mask either through removal from the home or nullification of it's power, the negative energy in the home quickly dissipated. It is impossible to say whether this is real or created through the projection of mental reality into physical manifestation, a type of Somatoform possibly, but nonetheless quite interesting.
Down In The Sepik Valley.
In the 1980's, a renowned artist in the Sepik Valley, Saun Anti, was commanded by a spirit of his ancestors to adopt a specific and different aesthetic, of the “time before”. He attempted to, but was ostracized. It is theorized that this was for fear that it would harm sales to collector's searching for the definitive style of the Sepik Valley, and also due to a moderately conservative elder community. He complied and the spirit returned threatening to harm his family and send negative energy. Rather than risk upsetting a spirit, he removed himself from society to carve in isolation in this way until his death.