Tuesday, September 22, 2009

A Ghost Story | The PGH Experience





The Philippine General Hospital has been around for almost a century, and such edifice with a long history of witnessing so many people coming and going, it is not surprising that it carries with it the echoes of those who walked along its dimly-lit corridors. Though modern conveniences now abound everywhere, behind the masquerade known as technology are some very old questions no medical or health science could ever answer. When I pass through wards filled with patients struggling to live, its walls retain the hopelessness and misery of those who already moved away. I sense their lingering emotions and it's the reason why I avoid staying long when I visit my aunt who works there.

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It was the summer of this year. Utol had a minor surgery whose goal was to enhance her aesthetic worth. She had to consult her doctor to see how the stitches from her surgery was healing. Being the reliable kuya, I had to wake up early to accompany her despite going late to bed the night before. The lack of sleep made me feel woozy. My very short fuse meant that I was best left alone. Sparing others from my grumpiness, I usually take a nap inside my aunt's clinic while waiting for my sister to return.

One morning, I took a nap while utol was having her consultation in the other room. The secretary who was also inside the clinic where I stayed told me that she had to go out and do some errands for the consultants. In short, I would be left alone. I was too durog to acknowledge her, and what mattered was that nobody will disrupt my peace. However, upon reaching the sleeping phase known as lucid dreaming, my ears could hear a lot of chatter. It felt like the room was filled with people.

I tried to force my eyes open and when I finally succeeded, I was surprised to learn that the door was open and patients of all ages were queuing to have their turn to go inside the consultants' quarters. What was strange about them is that most of those who were falling in line were adults and elder people. The clinic where I stayed specializes in Pediatric Surgery. The consultants there only treat kids. I tried to get up but I could not move. I wanted to roll over hoping that I would fall to the floor but my attempts were all in vain. Suddenly, some of those who were in the line noticed my struggle. They began walking towards my direction. They spoke of things which I could not recall, save for some snippets of memory about how they died.

Yes, they were all spirits.

People who experience an inability to control one's body while sleeping call the ordeal bangungot. I do not know if mine could be considered as one. What I know is that I was in the verge of panic. (because I could see the wrinkled face of a very old lady who was standing beside me) It took several minutes (and a Lord's prayer) to regain control of my body. When I finally did, I woke up still alone inside the room. There were no other people nor doctors calling a patient's name waiting outside the consultation room.

It was all but just a dream.

But the experience, where I cannot wake up despite my futile attempts to do so happened many times over, I already know what to do should I lose control of my body. And in many cases, I am aware that some unseen forces were taking advantage of my weakened state.

I have one ability only few people know about. Those who knew, also possess such ability too - and often, with theirs - much more powerful than mine.

And in the coming entries, I'd tell more about my encounters and how I came into terms with my strange talent.





-tobecontinued-


18 comments:

blagadag said...

parang gustong ko ng matakot sa yo. lol. just keep on praying soulja. Bro is the only most powerful of all.

gillboard said...

joms, isa't kalahating buwan pa ang halloween...

tatawa ako't nakwento mo yan, nung isang araw lang binangungot ulit ako...

yung batang babae na pumatong sakin at pinipigilan ako na gumalaw... kala ko di nako magigising...

Aris said...

na-experience ko na rin ito. yung gising na pero hindi ako makagalaw. tapos parang may humihila sa akin para matulog na lang uli. pinaglabanan ko kasi natakot ako na baka hindi na ako magising.

Anonymous said...

na experience ko na to before, yung akin naman, nagising ako sa panaginip ko tapos parang may dark entity na nakadagan sakin tapos nakayakap kaya di ko magalaw katawan ko. sabi nung friend ko na chinese nung kinuwento ko sa kanya, parang i'm entering a state of bangungot na daw. sabi pa nya, my body daw is too exhausted to even coordinate with my mind. kaya daw dapat, pag nangyari yung ganun ulit, unahin ko daw igalaw ang fingers sa kamay at paa. and ofcourse, magdasal daw.

Bloiggster said...

ive experienced this several times before. there were instances na i wanted to scream pero di ko magawa. and i see several entities; spirits and mga duwende. i really dont know if i was dreaming or what pero everything was so vivid. until now, natatandaan ko pa din yun.

the PGH is definitely haunted. it has been there since it was built by the americans in the 1900's and has witnessed world war 2. at syempre since hospital sya, madami na ding namatay. im not surprised that spirits there will contact you esp if you have a gift.

rudeboy said...

I know enough Third Eye people to believe it's a gift I'm thankful I don't have. The living are troublesome enough without having to deal with the dead, too.

There is a haunting (pardon the pun) beauty to old buildings such as PGH. Not only are they physically splendid; they are rich with history as well. I've been wanting to do a series of night shots in places like these, but I fear being chased away by angry, horrible entities.

I believe they're called security guards.

PINKisthenewBLACK said...

I finally got here Joms :)

Excellent blog!

Lyka Bergen said...

You gave me the heebie-jeebies! I have experienced this one too. Where you cant move in your sleep but knows you're awake and the scary feeling of someone watching you.

Are they real? The sleep-watchers?

Mugen said...

Lyka Bergen: Since all of you had the same experience too, I guess these things are quite common. I do not know of sleep watchers, but I've heard from someone that spirits can talk to you while you sleep.

James: Finally you found me. Hehehe.

Rudeboy: PGH is hauntingly beautiful, save for a fact that it echoes too much sadness from all the people who have come and gone from its wards and corridors. You can seek permission to do a photo shoot of the building. I guess what you need is a connection and an intent that what you will be doing is a "personal project"

Mugen said...

Bloigg: I don't actually see it as a gift, since I cannot control when and where I'd like to see one. What I do know is that its present and when I least expect things would happen. Boom! Dun ako madalas nakakaranas ng apparition.

I have to hang out more with those who truly have the gift. At least mas maiintindihan ko yung sa akin while listening to their experiences.

Maxwell: Yup its bangungot indeed. According to Filipino Folklore, the dark entity is a very obese man. Dadaganan ka talaga niya at sisiguraduhin niya na kahit anong gawin mo eh hindi mo makokontrol ang sarili. Once or twice, I tried to threaten such entity. Malakas ang loob ko kasi alam ko kung sino ang tatawagin.

In another entry, I might write about how I am beginning to recognize that each and everyone of us have guardians.

Mugen said...

Aris: Yun ang panic mode. Nakakatakot talaga yung feeling lalo na't hindi mo alam kung gising ka ba o tulog pa.

Gillboard: Weird, sigurado ka batang babae? Bakit naman? Try mo kaya kausapin. Ganun naman minsan eh.

Blagadag: Huwag ka mag-alala, trip-trip lang kung bumukas ang third eye ko. Hehehe.

dark_knight said...

cool... creepy but cool.. had one experience din bout that pero kinda creeps me til now..

^_^

Mugen said...

Darknight: I think its a good material to blog about. Hehehe.

dencios said...

hala yare. pero exciting. alam mo minsan masarap din yung maka experience ng ganyan diba? kasi di naman lahat nakakakita ng kaluluwa

Mugen said...

Dencios: Actually, karamihan nakakakita ng moomoo. Ayaw lang nila tanggapin na ganun.

Anonymous said...

This is scary.

Ala ghost whisperer. :-)

Anonymous said...

alam nyo ba yung group na marunong mag open ng thirdeye sa uplb.inform naman me kasi gusto ko talagang ma open ang thirdeye ko ilang taon na rin me nag try mag open pero di successful eh. text naman me sa number na to 09473947917. My name is czar ilagan.

nenengB181997 said...

thats called SLEEP PARALYSIS. there you go. this was posted 2009 pa palaa.