The testimonials below were originally published in January 2018 in the special edition “My Supernatural Experience” of MUNDO ESTRANHO. They were provided by real people, who were interviewed by our reporters and authorized publication. Check out:
1) I recorded a ghost in a footage
– (Mauricio Planel/)
“It was a summer Friday, eight years ago, when I went with three other colleagues to make a recording at the Parque Ecológico da Vila Prudente, in the East Zone of São Paulo. At the time, I was doing a postgraduate course in cinema and I wanted to get practical in filmmaking, so I always proposed external shots for course work.
That morning we were going to shoot some scenes for a short film. The script told the story of a transvestite who walks down the street on her way back from a nightclub when she is approached by two men in a car. They offend her, and after that they speed up, making the car’s tires squeal. At the end of the short, they crash into a truck. Despite the morbid plot, the film was humorous, with a message of tolerance at the end.
take a surprise
We filmed the car sequence on the street in front of the park, which is next to the Vila Alpina Crematorium. I was leading the camera and decided to do a frontal close-up on a moving truck that was parked there. My idea was to insert the image in the final montage and thus simulate the accident. I recorded it, we followed the shot script and finished the job. It was a beautiful day, sunny and full of light. At the time, I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary.
In the afternoon, when I arrived at the faculty to work on the images, I opened the material in the editing room and began to evaluate what we had done. As soon as the close-up of the truck appeared on the screen, I saw that I had clearly registered a spirit. It was a young man with short, curly hair looking directly into the camera. His eyes were red and he seemed to be staring at me with an expression of pure hatred.
glare
I froze on time. I called other colleagues who were in the room and showed them the take of the ghost. Everyone could see the figure of the man inside the truck. The work ended and I never saw an image of him anywhere else. I believe I filmed a spirit that had recently abandoned its owner’s body, but was still trapped on the earth plane – there must have been many like that nearby, given the proximity of the crematorium. Unable to leave, he was filled with rage and that’s why he looked at me like that.”
Vivian Cardozo is 40 years old, is an art teacher and lives in São Paulo. This was not the only spiritual experience in her life. Testimony granted to Leonardo Uller.
2) The drowned friend came to my bed
– (Mauricio Planel/)
“My family was very strict, and when I was a teenager, as much as I wanted to, I rarely had fun. My parents didn’t let me do almost anything. At 17, I decided to go to a party that took place on one of the islands in Belém do Pará, where I grew up. It was a popular celebration that took place every year and brought together both people from the urban area and the riverside people from the islands that pop up along the Guamá River, our branch of the Amazon.
All my friends would be there. I bought the ticket and, knowing I wouldn’t be allowed out of the house, I planned a hidden exit. My mother found out about my plan and forbade any movement. Devastated, I called my best friend and offered her the ticket I had – at least she would have fun in my place, I thought. To ensure that I had no difficulty getting there, I also gave the cost of the ferry that crossed the river to the island.
That night, crowded with people excited to get to the party, the boat capsized. My friend, sitting with the ticket I had given her, fell into the water and drowned. The accident shocked the region and my family was very relieved. They were convinced that my mother’s rigidity had saved my life, but all I thought about was my friend. She would go to bed every day crying her eyes out. Her mother blamed me for her death, and so did I.
unexpected visit
A week after the disaster, in the middle of the night, I woke up to a strange noise on the wooden floor, like creaking noises. My bedroom floor felt like it was opening up. Then I felt something or someone lay next to me on the bed. Whatever it was, it was real, because I felt the cold on the skin of my arm as soon as it touched me. It was like the touch of another skin, but cold and very sticky.
Suddenly, my room was invaded by a very strong putrid smell. I was very scared and didn’t even have the courage to open my eyes. Even without looking around, I was sure it was the spirit of my drowned friend. I knew she wouldn’t hurt me, but I didn’t want her to stay there either. I began to pray with great concentration, without moving or making a sound. The eyes were still squeezed shut.
guilt relief
After a while, she disappeared. I can’t explain how she left, but she wasn’t there anymore. At the time, guilt had taken over my life and I felt really bad. Today I interpret that she probably went to my room to tell me that everything was fine and that I was not responsible for her death.
I never had any contact with spirits again, but even today I can’t say the name of my friend or think about her much for fear that she will appear again.
Renata Passos is 64 years old, is a seamstress and has only had this contact with spirits in her life. Testimony granted to Laíssa Barros.
3) I lived a night of fear and paralysis
– (Mauricio Planel/)
“I was 19 years old and had a rough week. My relationship for a year and a half was over and I had a hard time accepting the fact, I felt confused. How did you know how to cast runes [pedras com inscrições antigas, usadas para obter respostas, mais ou menos como ocorre no tarô], I spent the day casting them. He asked questions and got answers, but, not satisfied with what they told me, he returned to questioning.
When I went to sleep, I was completely agitated. I started having nightmares as soon as I fell asleep, with my best friend and my family, and the dreams ended in horrible ways. In the middle of the night, I woke up. I felt bad, and when I tried to move, I found that I couldn’t move the muscles in my body. I looked at my bedroom door and saw a figure, a man perhaps, very tall and hooded. I couldn’t see his face or make out details of his clothing, but I could clearly feel that he was staring at me.
mental strength
I was very scared and, to make matters worse, I was still unable to move. I must have fallen asleep again and started dreaming again. But that only lasted for a while, until I woke up and, once again, found myself paralyzed. Now, however, the figure was sitting on my bed. I tried to get up using all the strength in my body, but I felt a heavy energy holding me down.
I kept pushing and mentalizing the movement of getting out of bed, away from that being. I just felt very bad energy. Suddenly, I felt intense pain, like an extremely strong cramp. Then my body jumped off the bed and landed on the computer table five feet away.
Odin’s Warning
After that night, I did some research to understand what had happened. I found out on the internet that there are legends about people being ‘held by a ghost’. I also learned that, in shamanism, there is a term called `spiritual fetter¿, used to define the fact that a human has a `rebuke¿ with a god. I believe I have a spiritual connection with Odin, for whom the runes are a direct invocation. My theory for tonight is that the negative spiral started when I failed to deal with my afflictions. I got scolded.”
Bruno Passos is 26 years old, is a photographer and adept at shamanism. He believes that, on that day, he was punished for not taking spiritual forces seriously. Testimony granted to Leonardo Uller.
4) I held the hand of a ghost girl
– (Mauricio Planel/)
“I live with a friend and our two cats. A few months ago, we received a visit from another friend of our group, who was staying at our house. That night, we reversed the usual arrangement. The visitor stayed in my flatmate’s room and she came to sleep in mine, on a mattress that we put on the floor.
felines in the room
As usual, I left the bedroom door ajar so the cats could get around. They like to roam the rooms at night and sometimes even play while we sleep. So I didn’t think it was strange when, in the middle of the night, I felt something weigh on my feet. I imagined it was one of the little animals and went on sleeping carefree.
But suddenly my friend called my name. She was lying on the mattress and in a sleepy voice she said there was a little girl in my bed crying very loudly. She asked me to stop making the child cry because it was disturbing her sleep. At that moment, I opened my eyes and aimed in the direction of my feet. Indeed, there was a girl about 7 years old sitting there. She was white, had black hair and cried a lot. I understood that I was in the middle of a dream.
Still dreaming, I got out of bed, took the girl by the hand and led her towards the living room door. I asked her to stop crying and leave my house. She wasn’t scared at all because she was quite sure she was sleeping, given over to the script of my unconscious. But, arriving in the living room, I came across a huge mirror that we have in the room and I saw my reflection. That’s when I realized I was awake. Beside me, the girl continued to cry and hold my hand, but her reflection did not appear in the mirror.
two visions
I screamed loudly, let go of her arm and ran into the bedroom. There, I tried to convince myself that despite the clarity and sense of full awareness, it had all been a dream. But I was too wide awake to believe it. It was real. I called my friend and told her what had happened. She woke up unwillingly and tried to calm me down. When I asked if she had also seen the child at the foot of my bed, she said yes.
We didn’t have the courage to go into the living room to see if she was still crying there. My friend went back to sleep, but I was in shambles. We left the room only when the day broke and, at that time, we didn’t see any children in our house. The worst part, for me, is knowing that my friend also saw the little ghost girl. It leaves me no room to doubt my eyes. At home, I’m the only one to give importance to the episode until today. But I can’t help it. Holding that little hand scared me a lot and still does.”
Flávia dos Santos is 22 years old and a student. She has not seen the child at home anymore, but she is still afraid that he will return. Testimony granted to Laíssa Barros.
5) My guardian angel appeared in my dreams and predicted the future
– (Mauricio Planel/)
“When I was 16, I started to dream frequently about a gentleman with white hair. The little old man always came to talk to me in the middle of the dream when I was in a square or during a walk through a green field. He seemed to know me: he called me by…