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Rabbit Year Ghost Month, Swimming Hungry Ghosts

 

This is my first post, I've been lurking for years and finally decided to join. I've never actually experienced anything paranormal until now, but have always had a lot of relatives/family members who are in touch with these happenings. I write today because I really like this website and the community.

I believe the phrase associated with the ability to experience the paranormal, in Chinese, roughly translates into "yin eyes", an ability associated with the night, the undead etc. My mom is somewhat sensitive to such things and she is often visited in her dreams by spirits close to us, she is also the first one to get that 'bad mojo' feeling. With that said I think I have absolutely no paranormal radar.

I write because these months, the period of time between July and August are the Chinese Ghost month (s) and an increase in activity is usually associated with this time of year. Also, as I've been made aware of by our family's medium, this year, the Rabbit Year is an especially ghostly year for me (don't know why).

Lately I've been a pretty positive person, grateful and optimistic, but these last few weeks, there has been a peculiar and particular sense of spiritual malaise, suicidal ideation and random thoughts of guilt and regret, not to mention bickering between myself and the rest of family. I've come to understand such things as being caused by spirits and negativity and so that was the first indication something was up.

Sometimes I'll get this vivid thought of me committing suicide by hanging myself, a thought that just sort of randomly pops into my head. It's especially disturbing because I realize that these thoughts do not originate from me, they're never set off by any particular state of depression or chain of thoughts leading to it. I just imagine myself strung up to a rafter in the balcony next to where I sleep and just hopping off a table. It's more bizarre than scary the more I think about it. LOL I definitely should NOT think about it.

Secondly, we've had some strange things go on in the house (a big old concrete mansion built about 30 years ago in a very old part of town in a very "spirit-y" country- that is, the Philippines). There's the faintest sense of a "presence" I get no matter where I go, it could be that it's an old creepy house, however there is a sense of not being alone, albeit ever-so faint.

Then there was an incident where my mom had heard banging and whispering outside of her door, very spooky, as she had thought it was me at first! Even though we have many others who live in our house, it would have been unlikely that they would be making such a racket at such a late hour.

Also, another strange experience I had where I had heard knocks, faint noise and the sound of footsteps moving away. The house is such that it's pretty easy to tell if someone was just in an area, because of all the doors and echoes, but I sprang up to check and found no one there.

Also, and this was before I had to live in this house, another family medium saw 'spirits' swimming in our pool, backstroke or breaststroke he didn't mention (LOL) but seriously, I think from his account, they were just sort of ghosting around the area. Numerous times, our relatives have almost fallen into the pool, too. Another thing hungry ghosts like to do is sort of nudge you into meeting accidents, this month is the opportunity they have to get you to trade places with them should they cause you to perish in an untimely fashion (!) i.e. Not becoming you, rather, trade their karma for yours...

The Chinese custom is to appease these restless spirits/hungry ghosts by "offering" food, incense, prayers and as some of you may know, the ritual immolation of paper objects that spirits can use in the afterlife. It is the one respite from the suffering that these ghosts experience in their day-to-day existence. Hungry ghosts are personified as having swollen bellies and tiny mouths, or depending on the lore, flames that burn their throats, so that none of the spiritual bounty that lay around them can sate their hunger. Sometimes we have relatives that are enduring such suffering and it's important to care for them.

We indirectly discovered that certain individuals that were suppose to be in charge of this important rite for our house has been skimping on the offerings lately, burning less stuff and not praying correctly, thus explaining the sense of malaise that seems to afflict our homestead. Our spiritualist also tells us that there are a LOT of hungry ghosts chilling around our place, specifically, three years worth of upset, lost spirits that have been causing misfortune and ill will in this world. We have asked our medium to help them pass on through.

The prayer we say to help along the lost spirits is an old Indian Buddhist mantra "to the other side, to the other side, over to the other side, then, enlightenment" [or 'peace', I suppose], maybe it can help others.

Thanks for reading! If more spooky stuff happens I'll be here, in the mean time, look forward to reading everyone's contributions.

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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, soyjuice888, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

JaymeAnne (4 stories) (14 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-09-18)
Wow! I've never heard anything like this, and I'm glad I could learn it from someone who truly experiences this type of paranormal activity daily. Thank you so much for sharing all of this! I look forward to reading other things from you!
Javelina (4 stories) (3749 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-09-02)
soyjuice888,
Aahh! Finally came out of that paranormal closet, huh? 😜 No more lurking. I still remember when I did that. It's funny how most of us hung out reading the stories long before we finally broke down and officially became members. I'm happy you came in from the cold.
These experiences are very interesting. And though you describe them as Chinese in their origin, the fact that you live in the Philippines, makes it even more so to me.
I've always been fascinated with the experiences sent in from the Philippines. They are always different, and never boring. As a matter of fact, this one is going on my favorites list.
Is it tradition to have others appease the hungry ghosts? I only ask because I am now wondering what it would be like to have that job, and why someone would even consider shirking that responsibility. Seriously, you can't hide from spirits. If you do wrong by them wouldn't you expect some sort of retaliation? I know I wouldn't want to risk it.
Thank you for sharing this account of your experiences. And I'm sure glad you knew what those depressing feelings were all about. I have to admire you for that.

Jav 😊
taz890 (12 stories) (1380 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-09-02)
how interesting, like miracles I enjoy reading about other cultures and the way they deal with there spirits.
I hope all goes well for you and your family
Carl
Nysa (4 stories) (685 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-09-01)
Knocking someone off hardly seems the right way to up your karmic tally, that's a crumy loophole! Thanks for sharing that chant.
Miracles51031 (39 stories) (4999 posts) mod
+4
13 years ago (2011-09-01)
soyjuice888 - I'd like to be the first to thank you for submitting this. I enjoy reading and learning about different cultures and customs, especially when dealing with the paranormal.

I truly enjoyed reading this and am glad you and your family found out why things weren't exactly "right" in your lives. Hopefully your medium was able to help pass the lost spirits on.

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