Widow Ghosts -
Nightmare Death Syndrome is a phenomenon that has been reported in Thailand, where men have been apparently killed in their sleep by spirits known as Widow Ghosts. The deaths caused a widespread panic in northeastern Thailand in 1990. Many outbreaks of Widow Ghosts have been reported in several villages in Thailand over the years. Men who were young and perfectly healthy would either die in their sleep or suddenly drop dead in the streets.
It is believed that Widow Ghosts are the spirits of particularly sexual women who met violent deaths. They are on the hunt for husbands and they will kill men in order to take their souls as husbands in the afterlife. There has also been worry that when the Widow Ghosts have enough husbands that they will start seeking female companions as well.
Since the ghosts only attack men, some young men in Thailand take to wearing lipstick and nail polish during Widow Ghost outbreaks to try to deter the spirits. Hanging wooden penises around a man’s neck or next to him while he sleeps is also believed to ward off the spirits. The residents of Ban Thung Nang Oak proudly built a giant communal phallus in order to get rid of a Widow Ghost problem.
