Amador Brioso Jr., a writer and regular reader of this column, whose latest book is about the late Manila Mayor Arsenio H. Lacson, plans to write about aswang in his next book.
For this reason, he asked me these questions, which other individuals have also asked:
“Do aswang really exist? Are they real or just imaginary, mere products of our imagination? Have you come across any case about this thing? Any encounter with anyone who claims to have seen or to have encountered any aswang?
“What is your take on the spate of news regarding aswang attacks in Mindanao?”
Dear Mr. Brioso,
Congratulations on your recent book about one of the most colorful personalities in Philippine politics. From Mayor Lacson to aswang! That’s quite a jump in topics for a book!
First, I want to thank you for your interest in my work.
The existence of aswang as defined in Philippine folk culture is a big question mark for me.
As a scientific researcher and critical thinker, I tend to doubt anything for which I find no tangible proof. And aswang is one of them.
Yes, I have heard stories from highly credible individuals who believe they have encountered or witnessed real aswang, but until I see one for myself, I hold my judgment about their existence.
‘Dwende’ and other spirits
This isn’t saying they are not real. What I am simply saying is that I have not found any objective or impartial evidence for their existence, unlike dwende and other nature spirits.
Regarding the reported spate of aswang attacks in Mindanao, I cannot comment on them because I have no details to base a comment on.
Anyway, I believe more in the existence of aliens from outer space than in aswang.
Ghosts
Another recent e-mail came from Ms Rita Roque, who submitted a photo of a “ghost” which appeared on the wall of a rented house in Caloocan City. She took a picture of a seated girl using her mobile phone at 6 p.m. on June 19, and a brooding female figure appeared standing in the resulting photo.
Over the years, I have received inquiries on several such “ghosts” captured on camera. And the usual question asked me is whether such images are real ghosts or merely shadows, or perhaps faked by the people who submitted them.
I actually have a collection of about 10 spirit photos whose background I have knowledge of, and the people who took the photographs.
I have also seen many others in foreign books and magazines.
But how can we tell if these are real spirit photos or merely a camera trick?
A sensitive or psychic person can easily tell if a picture of a ghost is real or not by its vibration. To be sure about it, you can ask two or more sensitives, independent of each other, to look at the picture and see if they have the same conclusion.
Ghosts do not appear only on photographic plates. They are also visible now on digital camera screens. Some are even seen in motion pictures and videos.
There are many reasons spirits of the dead show themselves in one manner or another.
One is simply to give solace to grieving relatives, or to say goodbye to them. Another is to relay an important message to the living. Still another is to seek justice for a wrong done to them.
It is seldom that a spirit would like to harm a person. However, despite all the evidence available, many people still do not believe that ghosts are real.
The next Soulmates Karma and Reincarnation seminar will be on July 17, from 1 to 7 p.m. The Basic ESP and Intuition Development seminar will be on July 25-26, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Room 308, Prince Plaza I Condominium, Legazpi Street, Greenbelt, Makati City. Tel. 8107245 or 0998-9886292.