In Thailand, some sort of belief in ghosts (ผี, ghosts, phantoms, shades, apparitions) is common. It is common to hear stories of encounters with ghosts. Maybe someone saw a ghost. The common practice among Thai Buddhists is then to “make merit” (ทำบุญ) at the temple, for oneself or for the ghost still enslaved. This should free the links between oneself and the ghost, between the ghost and the earth, or between oneself and some evil curse. (I apologize for any inaccuracies in my relating of Thai Buddhist beliefs and practices.)

It’s not nearly as common to hear Thai Christians tell about an encounter with a ghost. But it happens.

One day, I was told a story about my friend seeing a woman getting out of a taxi with another friend. But there was no second person. The sight, though, was apparently definite: there was a second person who got out of the taxi; she had curly hair she was short; she was wearing this and that. Yet there wasn’t such a person. But the woman who had been in the taxi said it smelled funny and that a smell followed her. In Thai beliefs, this adds up to the presence of a ghost (ผี, ghosts, phantoms, shades, apparitions).

What to think?

What to say to my friend?

Thankfully, on the advice and inspiration of Saint John of the Cross, one doesn’t have to say anything difficult or pass any judgments about the truth of the story. John would clearly teach that

• if it is real and good, it is better to ignore and fail to give attention to visions and supernatural phenomena, for by looking straight ahead and not being distracted from the God who wants to live in our heart, we surely aim for a better goal than what can be given through our faulty, trickable senses; God will give us the better and reward us;
• if it is real and bad, then we do not want to listen to it or pay attention to it, anyway;
• if it is not quite properly perceived, then we are better to ignore it, too, for fear of confusion.

Many foreigners in Thailand end up passing judgments on whether ghost stories are true, what people are “really” seeing, and so on. This is doubly detrimental if, on top of an erroneous practical judgment of the truth, are added any feelings of rational, racial, or cultural superiority.

As Christians, we know it’s possible that these phenomena, above the nature of the physical world, exist; and we know they could be anything. The devils can play with the physical world and with our senses. The good angels can, too. So can our Lord. Passing judgment is actually close to impossible, especially on our own and in an individual case.

Look to the spiritual interior; that’s where devils cannot get, deep within; keep going. Look to the Truth who is God. When practical judgments about phenomena are impossible, just forbid yourself to make a judgment. Love. Detach yourself from phenomena; if the phenomenon really does come from our Loving Father, he will provide and not be offended if we refuse to concentrate on his gifts rather than on his Person.

And that’s how Saint John of the Cross would deal with ghosts in Thailand.