The Global Ghost Report

It’s just entertaining to almost jump out of your skin during a scary movie with a bunch of strangers, isn't it? We all love those classic ghost stories, you know, the ones about Bloody Mary or the familiar neighborhood boogeyman. But here’s the thing: those well-worn tales are just the tip of the iceberg. There's a whole world of truly spine-tingling spirits and terrifying folklore out there. Some of these international entities make a standard poltergeist seem like a character from a Saturday morning cartoon. So, let's dive into some of the creepiest ghosts from around the world.

1. Ashura (India)

Ashura is a powerful ghost in Indian folklore, typically taking the form of a woman. She is often said to be created when a pregnant woman dies, sometimes during childbirth, or sometimes due to other traumatic events, and returns to the land of the living, consumed by bitterness and a thirst for revenge over the death of her unborn child. You'll usually find an Ashura lurking in the wilderness. She has a signature, unsettling feature: her feet are flipped 180 degrees, allowing her to walk backward. She uses a mesmerizing gaze to hypnotize her victims. If you don't break eye contact, perhaps by covering your own eyes with a piece of cloth, she will lead you to a secluded spot and drain you of your blood. Strangely, Ashura's desired victims are often her own family members, as she is angry at not being properly cared for during her pregnancy. The only known way to possibly placate her rage is to ensure the body is buried with meticulous care and respect.

2. La Llorona (Mexico)

This is a ghost you definitely wouldn't want to encounter along a dark river or lake. Legend has it that a woman named Maria, driven by reasons that vary from story to story, drowned her own children in a river before ultimately taking her own life. Now, Maria is condemned to walk the earth as La Llorona, "The Weeping Woman," endlessly searching for her lost children. Kids are warned not to go out after dark because if you resemble her dead children, La Llorona will first plead for your forgiveness, and then drag you screaming to a watery grave to replace them. People who claim to have seen La Llorona say she appears around rivers or lakes at night, dressed all in black with long black hair. Hearing her mournful wails is widely believed to mark you for death. (Pro-tip: Don't take long walks along dark, isolated rivers. It’s a good way to audition for a ghost story!)

3. Ango (Various Cultures)

The Ango is an evil ghost that typically returns to the living world to right the wrongs it experienced in past lives. These vengeful spirits are usually female, though male Ango are known to exist. They take great pleasure in tormenting their former lovers and families, often driving the living to commit suicide. The Ango is patient. They often wait days or even up to a month before beginning their attacks. They want to see who is genuinely mournful and who is not. Anger is often created through trauma, such as abuse from a husband, but their rage is usually non-specific. This means they'll attack family members who had nothing to do with their deaths. Sometimes, the original murderer isn't even the one punished.

4. Phai Hong (Thailand)

In Thailand, people who suffer cruel or violent deaths, or whose bodies are left unburied or without proper funeral rites, can turn into a type of ghost known as a Phai Hong. A pregnant woman is considered the most powerful version of this ghost, as she is believed to have the spiritual strength of two, thanks to her unborn child. Places of extreme violence, like war zones or natural disaster areas, are said to be strong breeding grounds for Phai Hong, as they often involve young people whose time "hadn't come." The Phai Hong usually stays near the place of its death, waiting for a living person to come by. If possible, the ghost will try to kill that unlucky person, hoping that they will take its place and free the Phai Hong from its spiritual bondage.

5. Nying (Scandinavia)

The Nying is a unique breed of spirit because it looks exactly like a living person. A person becomes this ruthless entity if they died a horrific way, particularly if they were a killer themselves. At night, the Nying will 'pinch' a person. This causes their entire body to slowly turn blue and rot from the outside in, with their heart being the last organ to die. Like a vampire, this creature can be warded off by religious items, but the best protection is to seal the creature in its grave. An inscription must be written inside a suspected Nying's coffin, and the coffin must be hoisted over the cemetery wall (not carried through the gates). Any tools used for the burial must be left at the grave site and never disturbed.

Stay Safe Out There

Look, a lot of these ghostly encounters can actually be avoided! Don't walk along dark rivers or lakes. Don't give random, spooky people ladles. And perhaps most importantly, be nice to the women in your life, because it seems like a lot of the world's angriest ghosts started out as angry women.