Haunting Encounters

Haunting Encounters: A Chilling Glimpse into the Supernatural Realm

My Filipino upbringing eliminated the distinction between reality and supernatural events because they merged completely. The Philippines exists as a culture which fully imbibes traditional ancient tales and superstitions and folklore stories. These were not stories that people shared by campfires during their spare time. They were real. They were part of life.

My childhood years brought me into contact with ghostly tales and haunted locations and terrifying creatures that people wished to never encounter. I lay awake several nights because my mind refused to confirm whether I had company. That eerie silence… that cold shift in the air… it stays with you.

My first paranormal encounter took place in the house where I grew up with my family. The entire household had gone to sleep while I was wide awake. White-clad apparition drifted through the hallway while I witnessed it. No sound. The sudden cold gust of wind and the overwhelming fear that swept through me like a tidal wave made my body become frozen. My body froze. I couldn’t move. The image became too intense for me to look away from it.

The incident remained a reality in my memory. The sensation of this experience stays vivid in my mind.

During a moonless night we took shelter around a lantern in a distant mountain village with my family. A bloodcurdling scream suddenly emerged from the blackness of the night. We ran outside. A dimly lit ghostly figure floated above the ground while hovering in the distant area.

The approaching of our group triggered its second haunting scream which seemed to reverberate through our body structures. We just stood there, frozen. We watched the entity disappear into the darkness of night. The vision from that night kept bothering me throughout numerous years.

All Filipinos recognize the manananggal and the aswang as the most feared supernatural beings in our folklore tradition.

Manananggal is nightmare fuel. At night the woman separates her upper torso from her legs to grow bat-like wings before she takes flight and hunts pregnant women and their newborns. The legend exists in reality because people believe in its authenticity. Many people choose to place garlic and salt by their window frames during night hours.

People describe the aswang as an evil creature that transforms between being human and a flesh-eating monster during the night. The creatures possess the ability to dominate additional evil beings according to folklore. During his nightshift my aunt shared stories about people in the village who transformed into non-humans after the sunset. These legends have penetrated deeply into the fabric of our society.

Witches exist among everyday people in the Philippines while living in reality rather than as fairy tale characters. The mangkukulam along with the mambabarang possess the power to create kulam through which they can inflict harm and sickness or even death upon people. People make a point to steer clear of their eyes. Some of these beings receive fear from people while others command respect from society.

These practitioners implement their magical spells through hair and clothing objects. Even if you don't believe it the fear remains authentic. The panic of families reaches its peak when they suspect someone has been placed under a curse.

But there’s light too. Traditional healers known as albularyos apply herbal remedies alongside sacred chants and sacred rituals to treat patients who are ill. The healers treat both the physical body and the spiritual nature of their patients. In numerous communities the traditional healers receive more trust from the people than medical professionals do.

After I arrived in America I was astonished by how different everything was. People in America view ghosts as entertainment. Supernatural beings exist as an integral part of everyday life throughout the Philippines.

Back home, you hear stories from neighbors, grandparents, even your parents. The population of this nation accepts stories about haunted trees and cursed territories and protective spirits. It’s woven into daily life. In America most people treat ghost stories with skepticism by labeling them as baseless superstitions.

Ghost stories exist in America but they seem to be located in a different realm. The supernatural elements in the Philippines remained constantly present.

Living among this supernatural environment has created an indelible impact on me. When you experience inexplicable events your sense of anxiety naturally intensifies. I experienced frequent nightmares which made me sweat while my heart pounded with fear. I walked into rooms because I sensed an unsettling presence.

Your body starts to incorporate fear as a natural part of your being. You always stay on edge even though you are physically safe.

I learned to manage my fear through time. Talking to people who shared similar experiences proved beneficial. This piece of writing served as an additional help. Deep breathing together with prayer and knowledge acquisition about these legends enabled me to feel more in control.

I began to analyze matters more deeply as I became older. Are all the stories true? Maybe not. All of these legends exist in a middle ground between truth and fabrication. Definitely not.

These beliefs transformed us in ways that define who we became. Through these stories we established a bond with our ancestral heritage. A way to explain the unknown. The legends taught people to recognize invisible forces beyond casual dismissal.

I maintain an open attitude in my life right now. Respect science, yes. But also trust my gut. A chill will appear in your spine whenever you pass by that specific tree even though logic cannot explain it. Or the dream that turns into reality. More than what we can comprehend exists in this world.

The supernatural will remain an integral part of my being throughout my existence. These events molded my worldview while teaching me to manage fear and discover inner strength. The various supernatural experiences throughout my life such as ghostly apparitions and mountain screams and whispered curses collectively drove me toward personal development and self-reflection about my identity.

And maybe… just maybe… Someone who reads this has a personal tale to share. One they’ve been too afraid to tell. If so — now you know, you’re not alone.

The hallway appeared more dim than its normal brightness. The way the air turned still. My childhood mind understood the entity I saw exceeded what nature could create.

I tried to describe the experience to my family members when the morning arrived. They paid attention to me with a mix of amusement and worry. Some members of my family understood the reality of the experience I had encountered. They just didn’t talk about it.

The memory of this experience continues to send shivers down my spine. What was it? What or who makes such terrifying noises during darkness without showing a physical presence only as an indistinct outline? My cousins chose to avoid discussing the experience with each other. All of us felt shaken by this experience.

These weren’t just childhood stories. Our understanding of the world emerged from these stories which determined our trust in others and our homecoming times and our nighttime paths.