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Phi Pop
A malevolent spirit that possesses people and eats their internal organs from the inside. Phi Pop possession is hereditary, passed from mother to daughter. Villages have driven out entire families suspected of harboring it.
Ancient - Present
Thailand, Laos
3000+ witnesses
Phi Pop is a malevolent spirit from Thai and Lao folklore that possesses humans and consumes organs.
The Legend
According to documented folklore:
Phi Pop:
- Is a cannibalistic spirit
- Possesses human hosts
- Eats internal organs
- Passed through family lines
- Causes great fear
Possession
The Phi Pop:
- Lives inside a human host
- Usually passed mother to daughter
- Host may be unaware
- Spirit emerges to feed
- Returns before dawn
Feeding
When it feeds:
- Emerges from sleeping host
- Seeks victims
- Consumes raw entrails
- Often livestock
- Sometimes humans
Detection
Signs of possession:
- Family history of Phi Pop
- Unexplained livestock deaths
- Strange behavior at night
- Host illness
- Confession under trance
Social Impact
Suspected hosts face:
- Exile from villages
- Violence from neighbors
- Entire families driven out
- Historical witch hunts
- Social ostracism
Exorcism
To remove Phi Pop:
- Powerful monks required
- Extended rituals
- Forced confession
- May be impossible
- Often results in death