Thread: A hit TV show and old temple rites explore the things that go bump in the night

A hit TV show and old temple rites explore the things that go bump in the night
We're not talking about Nana Plaza

How ghost chasers make sense of the supernatural



SPIRITED AWAY: Kapol Thongplub hosts 'The Shock', a popular TV programme that tracks down spirits using energy-detecting technology. Photos: Pornprom Satrabhaya

On any given night, Kapol Thongplub and his camera crew could be chasing after spirits. Holding a portable device to detect unusual energy frequencies, the 49-year-old entertainer visits places believed to be haunted by ghosts.

In one episode of The Shock, he entered an abandoned building where a man had hanged himself.

As he was walking onto the fourth floor, the arrow on his device was shaking violently.

"The meter detects an unusual wave of frequency," he said in the weekly TV programme. "There may be something that humans can't see here."

The cameraman then turned his hand-held camera to capture goosebumps on Kapol's arm.

His programme is shot in the dark, conjuring up images from Hollywood's Paranormal Activity movies.

Kapol, a radio DJ and TV host, is known as one of the most popular celebrity ghost hunters in Thailand. Hundreds of thousands of people tune into his programme week in and week out to see him use gadgets in an effort to prove the existence of the paranormal.

"We use the same scientific devices that were used by Ghostbusters Club in America to detect unusual levels of energy and temperature to show that there are things that we cannot see."

Asked if he was a ghost buster, he shrugged. "I am searching for spirits. I am not an exorcist. You have to leave that to experts who know how to do it."
Kapol confided that he had never seen a ghost in person but said, "Sometimes, I felt like someone was watching me or a flash of movement, things that cannot be explained.

"If I didn't believe in spirits, I would not be able to do this programme for 30 years."

The Shock has not actually busted any spirits but the show's audience is glued to the TV to witness unlikely incidents such as sudden dog barks. Kapol's programme has commanded a solid audience for many years, thanks largely to a fascination with ghosts and Kapol's entertaining style.

A HAUNTED VILLAGE

Ghosts exist in every culture in different forms. Spirits in Hollywood's Ghostbusters look like monsters. The most popular Thai ghost is Nang Nak, a female ghost who died during childbirth.

It is believed that each type of ghost requires a different approach to reach them, depending on the historical background and culture where it originated.

Earlier this year, a ritual was conducted at the remote Koksala village in Udon Thani province. A group of villagers invited a senior monk in the community to perform the ritual to rid the community of ogres and ghosts.

The residents had faced a series of unfortunate events. Seven people in the village died from various causes within a short period of time and several chickens in the farms died for unknown reasons.

Preliminary -- and unofficial -- autopsies of the dead chickens revealed the birds' intestines had disappeared from their bodies.
The villagers asked the abbot of Nong Sawang temple to perform a ritual to quell bad spirits. The items used to bust the spirits were three bowls of sacred water, rocks, sacred yarn, bananas, sugar cane, a golden shower tree and bamboo tubes.

The abbot began the ceremony with a chant to summon the ogres. Then, the monk used white cloth to seal 17 bamboo tubes, one for each spirit the villagers believed they had trapped at the ceremony. The sealed bamboo tubes were cremated at the temple.

Following the ritual, villagers said their luck had turned. Nobody has since passed away and no chickens have suffered an unexpected death, according to local Thai newspapers which covered the colourful ritual.

Siriwan Thepwong, a 54-year-old resident, was quoted as saying that the villagers agreed to ask the abbot to perform the ritual. It was the second time since 2010. At that time, six people died unexpectedly. After the ritual, tragedies stopped.

She hoped that this time around the ritual would rid the community of bad luck once more.

How ghost chasers make sense of the supernatural | Bangkok Post: news

Originally Posted by snakeeyes

no chickens have suffered an unexpected death

That is really good news.We need more of this heartwarming stuff.

Originally Posted by snakeeyes

The items used to bust the spirits were three bowls of sacred water, rocks, sacred yarn, bananas, sugar cane, a golden shower

Kinky.

Originally Posted by snakeeyes

the show's audience is glued to the TV to witness unlikely incidents such as sudden dog barks.

Barking dogs are very unlikely in Thailand. That's proof enough for me.