Telepathy and the Spiritual Realm in Vietnam

According to scientists in Vietnam, you can become a telepath in four ways: be born as one (rare); experience personal trauma (electric shock, serious illness); be a veteran monk (more prevalent); or be trained (a subject of classified ongoing research). Vietnam recognises nearly 100 people with such abilities, says Vu The Khanh, General Director of the Union of Science, Technology and Application IT Associations. Here is the story of one of the most famous telepaths, Phan Thi Bich Hang.

Aged 17, she is bitten by a rabid dog and about to die, but a Catholic healer says, ‘God will protect you.’ He feeds her medicines including a piece of exhumed coffin, and predicts specific symptoms. These occur right on schedule. If the symptoms cease by the third day, she will live. On the third day, Hang stops breathing (medically dead). But another old man (good at horoscopes) says, ‘You have modern medical technology while I have only incense and holy water, but I’m sure that she won’t die.’ Her parents delay the funeral rites.

Her father remembers his promise to shoot seven battery salvos when she dies, speeding the return of her soul to her family. He fires seven times, she jumps up and runs to him, but trips on the bullet casings and knocks herself out! In the following out-of-body experience, she realises that she knows, on sight, if a person will live long or die soon, and even what they’re thinking.

As she is a harbinger of bad news, she is routinely beaten. She travels from hospital to hospital, sorcerer to sorcerer, longing to be ‘cured’.

Then she sees her beloved dead grandmother, leading two others who had died as children (and of whom Hang had never heard). She tells her uncle, ‘There’s a human in your garden!’ And lo and behold, a 700-year-old tomb is found. And then on the death anniversary of her ancestors, she locates their long-lost tomb under a road. This ‘gift’ is getting useful…

Soon after, Phan proves herself ‘normal’ to her sceptical father by passing a university entrance exam with flying colours, after just 15 days of study in science subjects.

Her fame grows as she collaborates with the Ministry of Culture and Information in their research and gives a detailed description of an ancient pagoda in her village by communicating with the original builders who died seven centuries ago. This is verified by archaeological studies, and the pagoda is named an historical site! Since then she helps thousands find the lost tombs of family members and martyrs.

Think and pray

• What does this tell you about the spiritual realm in Vietnam?
• What have you learnt about the attitudes of Vietnamese people in their interactions with this spiritual realm? And the attitudes of the government?
• It appears that only ‘good’ is being done – families feel more connected to their forebears (akin to research on family trees?), sites of historical and cultural significance are uncovered (hoorah for the Preservation Trust!). Do you agree?
• What does any of this have to do with the growth of the gospel throughout Vietnam?