Ghosts and all things spooky

lukereg wrote:

I used to wake up in the middle of the night because I felt I was being watched. Someone with long curly hair.

I had that about 10 years ago, but I kicked her out the following morning.
No cup of water, but I had to make her a cup of tea before she'd get lost.

In other news, my wife is seriously into that hantu stuff, refusing a very nice cheap rent on a house  because it was too close to a graveyard.

Fred, your wife is smart.  She clearly knows the meaning of the old phrase made common by Ben Franklin…“penny wise, pound foolish.” 

Some years ago, and in a village not far from ours, there was a European fellow…an avid atheist and pragmatist who didn't believe one bit about “niskala” (the unseen).  Looking for a real bargain for land to build his villa, he was able to find 15 are not far from the pura dalem in that village.  Every village in Bali has a pura dalem…or, temple of the dead. 

Ignoring the warnings of the villagers as well as several expats (me being one of them) he went ahead anyway, contracting the land and building the “villa” of his dreams.  He refused to pay for a Melaspas (purification ceremony), or to build house temples within his compound.  In other words…he just carried on in his most determined, and often arrogant manner.

To make a long story short, he slowly went mad as a hatter.  Truly, he went insane.  One vivid episode that I saw for myself was late one afternoon while the late Brian Aldinger of the famous Naughty Nuri's Warung and I were enjoying each other's company, and without the usual crowd that so often would frequent Nuri's.  It was just the two of us sitting at the famed “expat table” right at the front left of Nuri's. 

Into Nuri's this guy stormed, practically naked aside from his underwear and bearing a large knife.  He screamed some words which were totally incomprehensible and proceeded to bury the knife deeply into the wood table top right between Brian and myself.  He then turned and ran off, yelling and screaming some more.  He was literally “running amuk” although thankfully he never hurt anyone during that episode.

Things only got worse for this poor sod.  Eventually the police put him in jail (for his and other's well being), and he was deported. 

I have endless stories, and personal accounts of encounters with niskala over my long years living on Bali.  This paranormal phenomena is nothing to either ignore, or to fool around with.  While there was a time, early on after moving here, that I was convinced Indonesians are way too absorbed with active imaginations, I took that “coat of thought” off a long time ago and have learned how to handle these forces…just as the Balinese do on a regular basis. 

Without question, and in all truth, virtually every expat in my neck of the woods and that I am close with, and who has been around as long, or longer than me, would say the exact same thing.  While this topic is hardly regular in our discussions, it comes up often enough and we all agree that we could never share our stories with family or friends back in our home countries…as they would likely think we are in need of a therapist, pills, or a straight jacket.

I don't want to sound silly as I personally don't or more so didn't believe in ghosts etc ,but while everyone is on the subject I will explain my experiences.  the first incident was after we purchased a small house which we demolished and had a double story built. The builders lived there as they were building and had distressfully told my mother inlaw that they had seen visions of a lady and a huge cat that moved through a wall? ( my first comment was what a load of rubbish and assuming they wanted more money or something of that description !)   Anyway , the house was finished and we moved in on the break I had of 6 months . All was fine until 1 night when there was a huge bang next to our bed while asleep. My wife and I both woke up and turned the lights on . I assumed maybe a slight earth quake? We thought nothing more of it.
In the next few days following I had a dream that our water tank exploded flooding the place and woke up to tell my wife. ( just a dream and brand new water tanks). 2 days later the mother inlaw stays at our house and during the early hrs of the morning woke us up and sure enough the water tank has erupted ?
Because of their beliefs they had the holy man come in and do a ceremony.
All good nothing else for that trip.
The next trip I decided to go a week earlier than the wife and kids to get as much surfing in as possible and a bit of quiet time. 
I had gone to bed sober as My wife had a curfew of 9pm to be home😄 . Not sure what time but I was awoken by what felt like a punch or jab to my ribs! I woke up and thought ok that was a bad dream. So I thought nothing of it and tried to go back to sleep. Within a couple of minutes and I was 100 percent not asleep it happened again! Now all my hairs are standing up and I jumped up and turned the lights on , but nothing? I rang my wife who was still in Aus and the family arranged for another preist to come and he came up with some pretty weird stuff ,but I know something happend!after the next ceromy so far so good. But he said something about a  child being killed there and the spirit is the lady ?
Anyway I still don't want to believe ,but it happened ???
I hope I don't sound like a idiot! Steve

I'm really hoping ghosts exist, and I'll eventually become one.
I'm hoping I'll be able to appear and disappear at will, especially in showers.
There she is, singing a happy song, when this apparition appears in front of her.
Poltergeists, I'm assured, have the ability to touch and move physical objects.
Could I be that lucky?

No Steve, you don't sound one bit like an idiot.

And Fred, while you are enjoying the role of playing “doubting Thomas” a role that apparently Steve once would have willingly played himself, and me as well…if you ever do make it to Bali, I could take you to places that I guarantee would make every hair on your body stand straight up, and every pore of your skin turn into goose bumps.   

BTW, I hope you are sharing this discussion with Mrs. Fred.  I'm betting that she'd be happy to know that there are bules out there who understand where she is coming from.