Entertaining ghost stories

As we celebrate All Souls Day, we ask ourselves if we believe in ghosts. We do, like so many others. In a book written by Josef Frank Regis, he has collated data from those with similar experiences, some long dead, others alive but visited by the dead. Josef states there can be no life on other planets as they don’t have the elements of life like water and oxygen. Fishes have gills to be able to live and move underwater. Birds have wings enabling them to fly. While driving along the Alabang-Zapote road towards Muntinlupa, a long-haired girl was crossing the street and was bumped by Josef’s car. Yet, she continued to walk on. She was obviously a ghost.

On another occasion, while Josef was sleeping alone in his room, he saw a white apparition in front of his wife Riza’s desk. Josef looked at her entire body down to her feet and found that the apparition had no feet. At a party in the huge mansion in Forbes Park, Josef noticed a glowing pair of white shoes on the ground. Surely, there must be an owner of these shoes, Josef told himself. He was there motionless, when suddenly he put on his shoes and rushed away. He was a friendly ghost playing games.

Why are there ghosts? When one dies, only the physical body will remain the true self moving from body to body. A ghost appeared after death to the one who had been badmouthing him when he was still alive. Help those left behind to allow the soul to heal quickly and move on in peace, is Josef’s advice.

How to tell if there is a ghost nearby? “They can be heard and have a distinct smell and fragrance.” The ghosts definitely started the practice of saying, “Excuse me” (or tabi-tabi) when Josef was closing a door and felt a resistance on the other side, but no one was there. Ghosts could eat and drink if they are still attached to the routine.

Ghosts roam along funeral parlors, cemeteries, hospitals and haunted places. The Manila Film Center is known to host many wretched souls. Corregidor is called the place of the thousands of victims of the two world wars — Japanese, Filipino, American and some Spaniards roam. When you feel a presence, pray to the Lord God or Allah or any higher protector of the human race, is Josef’s advice.

Ghosts can hurt us by tripping, pushing or occupying us, if we are physically weak.

Places like Corregidor and Balete Drive in Quezon City.

What happens to victims of sudden or violent deaths? Talk to them and tell them what happened. Why are there haunted houses and places? As per Josef, these have been unoccupied houses and empty rooms, a house with a history of sudden violent death, or was the site of a mass murder like one house in Blue Ridge, Quezon City.

Why is Balete Drive in Quezon City a favorite of apparitions? According to Josef’s ghost friend, they were murdered in Las Piñas but later became regulars in Balete Drive since it was the “in” place for “Terror Tactics.”

Finally, what to do to clean up a haunted house? Have the house blessed before moving in, says Josef.

I hope you enjoyed this short story as much as we enjoyed reading the book of Josef Frank Regis.

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