Of Asian ghosts and Western ghosts. Do *you* believe in things that go bump in the nights?

[layne67]

There was an interview with Kripke ( creator of Supernatural,for those who don't know ) in our local papers yesterday. In conjunction with season 2 starting on May 29, I guess. Nothing new, almost everything written in the article had already been said elsewhere. Except for this.

"There is a possibility of Asian ghosts being featured in the show. They might come with people or things like artefacts that come to America from Asia. I always like your ( Asian ) ghosts. I think they are way, way scarier than our ghosts here. Yes, there are possibilities of seeing some Asian ghosts."

Hmmm, so he thinks that Asian ghosts are scarier *snickers*

Interesting.

I think it's all a matter of perspective really, depending on whether you believe in ghosts or not. I mean, the majority of Asians believe in the paranormal, it's part and parcel of our culture whereas in the West, most people don't ( correct me if I'm wrong! ). I don't know, I guess it'd hard to be scared of something that you don't believe in. But here, you don't bat an eyelash if someone says that he knows of somebody who "keeps" spirits or jinns or that a witch doctor has been using black magic to make somebody fatally ill. Very convenient for the medical doctors when their patients do not respond to modern medicine and the relatives would sigh and blame it on evil spirits and whatnots.

So, anyway, I've been looking up the summaries for the episodes in S2 and apparently there's a Hindu demon in 'Everybody Loves A Clown' - a demon called Rakshasa. Not being a Hindu myself I've never heard of that particular demon before so yeah,I'm looking forward to that episode. I wonder whether Kripke has plans for any other Asian ghosts. It'd be interesting to see how the Winchesters would deal with our toyols, hantu rayas, langsuirs and our various mambangs ( jinns ) *g*

One thing for sure, salt alone is not enough to keep our evil spirits away. They'll need black pepper, lots and lots of them in addition to salt.

A few years back when my mum became ill and started seeing things, some family members insisted on an exorcism ( ooh yes, we got lots of those over here ) which included sprinkling salt and pepper all over the house. Heh, turned out that my mum had a cerebral bleed and my sis couldn't get rid of the salt and pepper for days after that :/

And wouldn't it be wonderful if Kripke decides to do on-location shootings here in my part of the world, for the authenticity *nods* ;)

Ah well, a girl can always dream ...

Comments

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of people in the West believe in ghosts and supernatural things, but what is true is that it is not as ingrained culturally in a culture where it's more cool to be "logical and scientific." In other words, it's not really cool to admit it, but a lot of people believe in it. :-)

But I remember I had this book of Japanese art once, that was of Japanese ghosts and demons and it was soooo creepy! There were a few pics in there that gave me nightmares! I think it would be cool if Supernatural filmed some. Also the scariest story someone ever told me that allegedly happened to them in real life took place in the Philippines! :-) SO perhaps the grass is always greener elsewhere when it comes to ghost stories?

[majblomma.livejournal.com]

There is also a djinn in the series. Just like Jonathan Stroud. :)

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

One thing about America is that we have so many different cultural influences, all co-existing in one huge country. In one of our large cities, you can find people of Asian, African, Indian, Irish, English, Italian, Spanish....every nationality you can name. . .nd all the different people have brought their own beliefs with them to this country. So we have hard-headed realists who wouldn't believe in a ghost if one bit them on the backside, and people who believe in all sorts of supernatural beings. It's one of the things I love most about my country.

[melyanna-65.livejournal.com]

Eeeek, I didn't know your ghosts were scarier than ours, hon!

I believe in paranormal, I think there is something we can't explain and lots of energies or something around. Usually this kind of things don't scare me, but fascinates me a lot.

*hugs*

[sarka.livejournal.com]

Can't speak for anybody else, here, but in my part of the woods one can't take three steps without stumbling over something supernatural. It's a statistical fact that 10% of Icelanders actively believe in various nonphysical entities and that on top of that 80% refuse to rule out the existence of things that go unseen. Only 10% of my country are absolute sceptics.

OMG

[(Anonymous)]

Which newspaper was it? The Star? NST? Damn. We only subscribe to Utusan Malaysia.

Just another week to wait for S2 to debut on AXN. Yay!

-Labseraph

[layne67.livejournal.com]

SO perhaps the grass is always greener elsewhere when it comes to ghost stories?

Eeeek, our ghosts here are plenty scary!

And do you notice that when we hear about ghost stories, they almost always happened to someone else and not to the person telling the story?

Re: OMG

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Flip, the Weekend Mail. My hubby said he'll try to scan it for me and if you want I can put it up.

And I'd really love to know who you are :)

[layne67.livejournal.com]

It's the episode where Dean was pulled into alternate reality life, isn't it? Oh God, I really tried not to read posts on episodes that haven't been shown but it's hard :/

And I've still got the third book of the Stroud's trilogy to read *flicks dust of book*

[layne67.livejournal.com]

What about you, Julia? Do you believe in ghosts? :)

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Usually this kind of things don't scare me

That is good, Mel. Personally I think it's when you start feeling scared that you're in trouble. You'd start seeing and feeling things even when those things are not around in the first place.

*hugs you right back, sweetie*

[layne67.livejournal.com]

And you yourself?

I believe in evil and that they can manifest themselves not only in the supernatural stuff but in humans - people that go on killing spree, raping etc. And I think people like them are scarier than a nest of vampires!

[masterofmercury.livejournal.com]

Very convenient for the medical doctors when their patients do not respond to modern medicine and the relatives would sigh and blame it on evil spirits and whatnots.
I kind of think it's a good think that we (Asian too, hiya!) believe in things like this. It makes the placebo effect stronger. When all else fail, turn to witch doctor! I'm not saying it's a good thing, but I believe that people's mind can make wonderful things happen if they believe in it enough.

I've heard of "Rakshasa" from "Ramayana" (an amazing epic about good vs bad), but it's nothing like in the show and the way Kripke portrayed them. But since I'm not Hindu myself, Rakshasa that was filtered through my cultural lense might be vastly different from the 'original' ones. :)

[ckll.livejournal.com]

I would love to see that in the show. They have never showed in an US paranormal show such phenomena and i love Kripke's influence from Japanese horror.

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Hi! *waves*

When all else fail, turn to witch doctor!

A relative had been to one when she was ill and she told me that he asked her to leave an egg wrapped in a yellow cloth by the roadside in the middle of the night and not to look back if she valued her life. Creeeeepy. Needless to say she didn't go through it. Good for her. Never invite trouble, that's what I say.

Yeah, I know the epic of Ramayana but haven't really read it. But I know that 'Rakshasa' means 'monster' in our language :)

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, the first few times I watched SPN I was reminded strongly of Ju-On ( Dead in the Water ), Samara ( Bloody Mary ) and such. If not for the lovely boys I wouldn't be watching SPN at all, those things freak me out, big time! But the boys' relationship and their family's dynamics won me over :)

[i-o-r-h-a-e-l.livejournal.com]

And Indonesia is quite close so could they come over...

:D

Yeah. You don't have to go very far. There are piles of setan in my house, and in my room, once I always ran out my face powder quite too fast because 'someone' else used it, too. Heheh. And then some people in my neighborhood said they often saw my father (before he passed away) sitting in the porch while he was actually inside. *shivers* People said our house is kinda blessed and protected, and those who mean bad would even see fire shrouding the house. Awesome, eh? I have more and more stories about my house alone.

*kisses*

[masterofmercury.livejournal.com]

Man, that's creepy. >_<;;

In my mind, Rakshasa is more related to 'giant', but I got curious so I researched it up a bit. Seemed like it's also the word that refer to low level demons that serve the devil/leader of Hell. :O

[grievous-angel.livejournal.com]

The paranormal fascinates me, and I've had several 'experiences' myself so yes, I definitely believe in 'something'. And even my mother, that most sensible and grounded of northern working class women, saw a ghost, many years ago. I think that what you say about western culture not believing quite so much is a little bit of a generalisation, it's probably true that we believe less than Asian cultures. My history, though - that of this country - is grounded in spirits and ancient gods - and it's very easy to embrace. Plus I think as the world reels to a puny death, led by blind idiots in charge, more and more people are looking for something else just to find some comfort in this world. I certainly believe.

[sarka.livejournal.com]

Haha, I can see ghosts on occasion, so I kind of must believe in them.

And yeah, I agree - people who seem besieged by ideas or ideology, regardless of what they do about it, often seem scarier than spirits.

[ckll.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's the most important element in this show :)

[punkkitten10.livejournal.com]

As a fellow Asian and Asian horror-movie enthusiast, I am happy to know that Kripke thinks our ghosts are scarier than theirs. I, for one, think they are. I have always believed in the paranormal since I once saw my dead grandfather weeks after his burial.

And just how awesome would it be to know there might be an Asian ghost on SPN? I'm squeeing enough as I think about it. Heh :)

One more week to go before the second season airs on AXN! Oh yeah!

[layne67.livejournal.com]

I was thinking, Sam would have to learn Sanskrit now, Latin just wouldn't cut it with that Rakshasa! Bwahahaha

And Arab, Chinese, Malay, Javanese, Siamese, Korean, Japanese ... it's a looong list

[layne67.livejournal.com]

You could come and stay at my place and we'll stalk the SPN set together!! ala_tariel, you're invited, too :D

because 'someone' else used it, too.

That could be -- your sis? :P

those who mean bad would even see fire shrouding the house.

Uhm, you didn't have that fire when you were 6 months old, did you?

[layne67.livejournal.com]

as the world reels to a puny death, led by blind idiots in charge, more and more people are looking for something else just to find some comfort in this world.

That's very nicely put, Cassie.

I'd love to hear about your 'experiences'. I've never had any myself but I've had friends and relatives experiencing all sorts of paranormal stuff. My sister-in-law's sister was believed to be possessed once, and I got goosebumps hearing about it, and the exorcism that followed *shivers*

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Maybe AXN would create a 'Supernatural Asia', the way they did with 'The Amazing Race'. But, it wouldn't be the same without Sam and Dean. Nope, not the same at all. Not even with Takeshi Kaneshiro as Sam.

This will be the longest one week ever *sighs*

LOVE your icon btw. I want them to be my squishies!!

[grievous-angel.livejournal.com]

Well I suppose the ‘creepiest’ one was when I worked in one of the theatres in London. None of us liked working on the balcony. You had to go up a stone staircase to get there and coming down it was awful, because sometimes – during the day rather than the evening – you would absolutely know that something was watching you, and watching you with real hatred as well. It really wished you ill, whatever it was. You had to go a flight down these steps and then through a door and you were back in the theatre ‘proper’. Once I go so spooked, I kept going and ended up right at the foot of them by the fire escape – had to turn around and come back up them!

There was another time when I was visiting a friend who had just moved into a basement flat in an old Victorian house and during the evening I kept seeing a figure out of the corner of my eye and it eventually coalesced into a butler, and when I mentioned it to Gow (my friend) he said that yes, the figure I kept seeing was walking towards where the stairs used to be.

Then we have the time I dreamt about a soldier in WW1 who had come to sit on my bed and talk to me. He pushed the blankets aside and we had a long talk and then he left. When I woke the next day the blankets were pushed aside exactly as the soldier had done in my dream.

And there are a couple more … but perhaps you can see now why it is that I believe!

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

I do, actually. My only personal experience of a ghost was with my cat, Tigger, who visited me a few days after he died, as an invisible presence that I felt when he jumped onto my bed and began to groom himself, the way he always did at night. I believe there is much more to this world than we can perceive with our physical senses.

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Eeeeeeps. That's beyond creepy. And England has all those old houses and castles and mansions too. I wouldn't be able to sleep if I had your experience!

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Oh but that was a nice experience, wasn't it, and not frightening? I mean, it must have been very comforting for you to feel Tigger's presence. I think he wanted to comfort you by trying to tell you that he was okay.

*hugs*

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

It startled me for a second, but then it made me feel very good, because I did feel he'd come to let me know he wasn't really gone, and he wanted me to know he was okay. It was very comforting.

[justian1729.livejournal.com]

sorry for butting in..but takeshi kaneshiro as sammy...!!...that's hot...!!..♥♥♥ him lots..altho i didnt quite enjoy most of his latest movies..who do you think makes a good dean..??!!...even though no one can do dean as perfect as jensen ackles...but thats a whole other story..!!..

[layne67.livejournal.com]

who do you think makes a good dean.

Hmmm, now that's a tough one. I really have no idea. Like you said - Jensen is Dean!

[i-o-r-h-a-e-l.livejournal.com]

My sister never wants to use my powder. She thinks it's cheap. LOL.

I didn't have the fire when I was 6 months old because I don't have Dean with me. *sniffs*

:D

But when I was one year old, and I couldn't even walk, they said I suddenly dashed in my crib and almost jumped out of it when I saw an old bule (Mat Saleh) sitting on the beam. :)

[i-o-r-h-a-e-l.livejournal.com]

Dean is made for Jensen like Frodo for Elijah. *is solemn*

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Uhm, maybe Adi Wibowo as the Asian's answer to Dean? He and Takeshi would make a HOT team!

[i-o-r-h-a-e-l.livejournal.com]

You mean Ari Wibowo? He's not bad. :D But he must work out first.