Spooky as they are, stories of paranormal encounters are often good social lubricants, with some netizens recently sharing their scariest ghost stories in anticipation of the Hungry Ghost Festival.
“I once saw a hazard tape moving by itself in Yishun, almost like someone was twirling it like a skipping rope,” shared one Reddit user.
“There was no wind at all.”
Others have since chimed in with their own ghost stories from Singapore — some of which happened during the seventh month of the Chinese Lunar calendar.
Run-ins with the paranormal are said to be more common during this period, as the gates of hell are open and humans walk the earth with wandering, hungry spirits.
Whether you are a believer or a sceptic, we invite you to experience second-hand the ghost stories that haunt this island.
In Buddhism, it is believed that spirits of the deceased will linger on this earth for a period of time, because they are unaware that they have passed on.
The seventh night is when the spirits will come home.
A few netizens have had brushes with the realm beyond in the immediate days after their loved ones passed.
One user, in particular, recounted what happened the seventh night after their mother’s death.
Source: Flemming Bo Jensen. Image for illustration purposes only
That night, they had locked themselves in the main bedroom after being told not to exit until daylight.
They then heard noises akin to a thunderstorm brewing outside, despite closing all the windows and doors.
Unable to sleep because of the fear, they sat up the whole night with their back to the wall — only to feel a whisper of a hand on their shoulder.
Another person in Singapore also shared an encounter from when they were five or six years old.
They recalled talking to their grandmother on the couch late at night.
The chatter woke their mother up, who then came out from her room to check on the noise.
In the living room, the mother saw her child sitting alone.
Their grandmother had passed away a week ago, and the child had been talking to an empty spot.
The incident had occurred on the seventh night after the elder’s passing.
Of all the paranormal sites in Singapore, Old Changi Hospital is possibly one of the most frequent stages of paranormal activity.
A netizen shared a story from when they visited the abandoned grounds with two other friends about 15 years ago, which would be around 2009, more than a decade after the hospital’s closure in 1997.
Source: Haunted Changi via IMDA
They had gone up to the third floor to enjoy a view of the sea.
Intending to snap a few pictures, the youths whipped out their Sony Ericsson Yari and Aino phones — which were brand new models at the time.
Strangely, they could not take a single photo despite numerous attempts.
Starting to sense that there was something amiss, they turned to rush out of the building.
Waiting for them on the ground floor were three freshly lit joss sticks.
Source: Khanh Nguyen on Pexels
Their uneasiness then morphed into full-blown fear and they fled the scene.
The cherry on top? Their phone cameras worked perfectly after they left the vicinity.
Changi Hospital has a gruesome history dating back to the Japanese occupation of Singapore.
It was said to be a holding site for prisoners of war.
Rumor has it that the Japanese military police had also installed torture chambers in the hospital.
Others have also reported paranormal encounters in schools this seventh month.
This story came from a Singaporean handyman in his late 50s who works in a local school.
One day, he had been tasked to fix the lights in the school’s auditorium.
Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison. Image for illustration purposes only.
When he tested the switch, the light would not turn on. He then heard loud banging noises from the false ceiling on top of him.
Choosing to ignore the odd sounds, he decided to carry on with his job — climbing a ladder to check the electrical wiring.
When he reached the top, however, he discovered that the flashlight he carried with him stopped working.
He then asked his co-worker for new batteries, to which the latter said that they had just been replaced.
A similarly bizarre incident happened at a kindergarten in Singapore, also during the seventh month.
While conducting her lesson, a teacher noticed her student staring at the ceiling above her head.
The child was quiet the entire time and did not look away from the spot once.
Not wanting to disrupt the lesson, the teacher continued teaching the class — even though seeing the child’s unblinking gaze had raised the hairs on the back of her neck.
Source: Cilanaa on Pexels
Luckily, nothing made itself visible to the rest of the class.
The incident, however, was enough reason for the teacher to always leave work before sunset.
For one Singaporean, her story stemmed from her childhood at a local hotel.
As the first-born of a pair of working parents, she would often accompany her father to work at Raffles Hotel.
She recalled having a best friend there — a doll-like girl around her age, but with bright red hair. The girl was always dressed in a pretty white frock.
She remembers spending time with the girl, playing with her, and talking to her.
However, according to her father, he did not see her making any friends.
All he knows is that she sometimes explored the hotel on her own.
Based on some of these encounters, the scariest ghost stories often arise during the seventh month.
After all, this is known as the period when spirits walk the mortal realm.
Several superstitions have made their way into the collective consciousness of Singaporeans, to protect humans from offending any of these disturbed souls.
These include avoiding swimming and leaving clothes out at night.
Have you experienced anything supernatural this seventh month?
Also read: 12 Hungry Ghost Festival beliefs explained, so you can survive the 7th month
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Haunted Changi via IMDA and Cilanaa on Pexels.
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