Theology Thursday

Today we’ll be looking at religion and the role it plays in the world of the paranormal. Today’s specific subject is the “Preta”.

Primarily found in Hinduism, the concept of the Preta has spread across South, East and South East Asia as Indian religious ideologies spread across the subcontinent. Preta can be found in Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and other less renowned religions across China.

The literal translation for Preta is “hungry ghost”, the belief being that Preta undergo a level of suffering beyond that of humans, usually an insatiable hunger or unquenchable thirst, but not for common items such as bread or water but usually for something vile or repugnant, so the hunger may be for rotting corpses, the thirst could be for urine… You get the picture.

Originally seen as a soul, departed from the physical form into that of a ghost, more expansive explanations are given that Pretas are souls locked in a transient state between physical existence and karmic reincarnation. Additionally, Pretas share the same physical realm as humans but experience it in a different way – for example a human in the Himalayas would experience the striking mountains and sprawling snow, a Preta on the other hand may witness mountains of cadavers capped with pustular fluid – not exactly an idyllic view or experience whilst waiting for your karma to rebalance, allowing for reincarnation.

If a loved one is identified as a Preta, fear not there is remedial action which can be taken. The family of the lost must engage in a series of funerary rites and offerings over the course of a whole year, guiding the spirit into it’s next life. However, if these rites aren’t completed, the soul of the lost could be condemned to spend eternity as a Preta.

Given their links to unbalanced karma, Preta are often believed to have been corrupted, jealous, deceitful or greedy people in a previous life (there must be a fair few Preta around Canary Wharf and other financial hubs around the world!). Pretas are often seen as little more than a nuisance to mortals, unless their hunger is for flesh or blood (India is a bit further east than Transylvania!) However, in other traditions and cultures, Pretas will prey on subverting mortals attempts to fulfill their desires, essentially feeding their insatiable hunger on the misery of the living.

I have to say, I would much rather turn in to a “standard” ghost if I had to, I don’t like the sound of feasting on something revolting for the rest of eternity – but as the hunger is “insatiable” maybe their pallettes are atuned to the more…experimental side of cuisine?

If you’d like to learn more about Pretas, there’s a fairly comprehensive article on Wikipedia which you can find here.

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