Singaporeans have always been a bunch intrigued with the supernatural and the paranormal.
With the Hungry Ghost Month in full swing and hitting the 13th day today, here are a few ways you can summon ghosts to satisfy your inner paranormal investigator.
Fair warning, attempts to summon these spirits may not turn out the way that you expect them to.
Look into a mirror at midnight and start combing your hair
Legend has it that doing so would open portals through the mirror, letting the other side know of your intentions.
You’re supposed to light a candle in front of the mirror, with all the lights turned off, and start combing your hair until the candle goes out.
Apparently you’re going to see a reflection in the mirror that isn’t your own.
Bend down and look between your legs
Not really sure why but it has been a long standing belief that if you look between your legs at night, you’ll see ghosts standing behind you.
I personally tried this method before but all I saw were the worried looks of people staring at me, thinking I’m an idiot.
Although you are more than welcome to give this a try, I mean what could go wrong? *sinister grin*
Knocking chopsticks against a bowl of rice at night
As made famous by the 2005 horror movie, The Eye 10, this method supposedly attracts the attention of hungry ghosts.
The rice in the bowl is meant to be food for them and the tapping of the chopsticks against the bowl is supposedly intended as a dinner bell; like, “HEY! IT’S DINNER TIME!”
Playing the Ouija board
I’m sure by now you’ve seen many movies and heard many stories about the world famous Ouija board. (Is it pronounced “Oh-Ja” or “Wee Jee” though?)
This is pretty much self explanatory, you are essentially opening a means of communication with any spirit passing by.
Open an umbrella while indoors
The Chinese have a belief that opening an umbrella symbolizes and invitation to ghosts to come to your place.
When you open an umbrella, the umbrella casts a shadow beneath it, and when you stand under the umbrella, you wouldn’t be giving off a shadow because of the umbrella blocking the light (go ahead, try it).
So by standing under the umbrella, you actually look like you don’t have a shadow – which stands in line with the age old belief that ghosts do not have shadows.
Rub graveyard dirt on your eyes
This would involve heading down to the cemetery, perhaps Bukit Brown Cemetery which is well known to be one of the most haunted places in Singapore.
Do take note that this method might actually rile up the spirits and make them really angry.