Badi - deadly state of Trauma

“Badi” is a word which means Trauma in English. Although Badi or trauma is a so called form of mental illness, there are such rumors which also put custom belief into the picture.

One familiar event would be - If you witness a person committed suicide, jump down from a certain height and landed front of you, you will fall into a state of trauma.

Yet if you looked eye to eye with the dead, it was rumored that the spirit will haunt you, making you go nuts and you will end up killing yourself to stop all the nonsense.

Although, not all will submerged into this state. Based on the next section under case #004, the ‘witness’ did not go crazy.

We figured that it will only happened to those will a lack of will power or weak at heart in them.

But was it true? Does the forces of the unnatural plays a part in this? or was it just another rumor which was create by a person?

In the past, we had covered the ’strange body pressing’ event which is readable through the article called The Sitting Bull, which one part, in relation with Medical theory and another based on beliefs.

Today, we are covering the topic called Badi ( trauma ). Please be aware that the information in this article is mainly to get the fact across, as an unwanted knowledge. It don’t served as a ‘forcefully attempt’ to make you belief in such.

Now, since the clarifications are settled, let’s began with the Cases of Event.

The Cases of Event

Case #001:

During Singapore Civil Defense recruit intake in between 63 - 65 ( actual intake number will not be revealed ) in Jalan Bahar, a recruit committed suicide by jumping down from a certain floor and landed on the metal grid roof of the Detention barrack.

His recruit buddy wanted to throw himself off the floor a few days after that.

It was rumored that the buddy saw his dead friend below, looking at him, asking to join by jumping too.

But his attempt was unsuccessful. He was stopped by other recruits.

Case #002:

XeeKilz ( a former SGFreakyLinks cast ) had his own ‘Badi‘ account to share. He witness a ‘body fell from above’ while smoking by the kitchen window. The body landed in a loud thud. When he looked down, the face of death face upwards starring. Zeekilz had an eye to eye contact.

After that, he lost controlled of himself for a while. For a week, he been smoking heavily, one after another. He can’t sleep, can’t eat, can’t think straight. The only thing that was on his mind was the face of a guy that committed suicide.

Eventually, due to his strong will… he manage to revive from his trauma state.

Case #003:

Last year on 2007, the first night of Hungry Ghost Month, DeathScythe, along side with Kearosyne and the ‘Drifters’ was hanging out late underneath the void deck.

They were playing a strategy board-game called Risks.

Apparently while playing, they got themselves involved as a witness to a crime and Bob, Kearosyne’s brother, got a close contact with the criminal in a bad manner.

This is how the story goes…

DeathScythe said:

About 2.00 am in the morning, we heard loud footstep on the second floor. It sounded like someone is running very quickly. All of us give a heck about it cause we are more on concentrating on Risk…. and I’m freaking loosing!

A few minutes after that, on another block, we saw someone running while being chased by another person. The chaser was yelling vulgarity. Moments later, that chaser was apparently a Chinese guy whom I’ve seen a couple of times, sitting at a coffee-shop watching soccer, screaming with excitement, with his friends.

He told us that his house had just being broke into. His dog made a loud barking and woke him up, only to find an Indian man climbed out of his window and run away. He began to chase that man.

The Chinese guy noticed that the Indian had a ‘look-out’ partner, whom was apparently a woman… and Indian woman. I suddenly realized something… earlier about 1.30 am - 1.45 am, we saw an Indian couple walk passed us. They looked drunk with a beer in the man’s hand.

Bob said that it could be them, and they live at the 4th storey at the same block as us. There’s no mistaken who the culprit was. Judging from the loud ‘running’ footstep we heard on the second floor and the Indian couple earlier… it has to be them.

The Chinese guy immediately called the Police…. and minutes after, the cavalries had arrived.

All of us told what had happened and our assumptions to whereabouts of this culprit. The police then climbed up the stairs to the 4th story to investigate. They knocked on the door, nobody answered. Even acknowledge themselves, “This is the police. Please open the door…” but it was left unanswered.

The police figured someone was inside the house and have been ignoring the call.

Soon after, another patrol car came by.

Unlike the first, the second police unit was… well… to say it in a correct manner…. they are ‘full of shit’. It’s like, we are so-called witness to a crime. What the hell is up with checking our I.C. and asking stupid question that is not related to the crime?!

As much as I hate to assist this monkey ass in uniform any longer, all of us were rather in the mood to catch the bloody robber. If we don’t, who knows… my house could be next.

All of us separates to cover all possible escape route. Bob and 2 other policeman went behind the block and guard there. Some head over to the first staircase and wait there.

Me… I watched at a distance looking up the block waiting for some excitement

It was about 4.45 am… and there is still no movement.

The only status report that I’ve eavesdrops was that they were waiting for the Inspector in-charge to come with a search warren. I wonder… if there’s a search warren, maybe I could have the request of kicking someone’s door down. I’m quite good at that.

Bob and the other policeman were still behind the block area guarding, and then….THUD! It sounded like an object fell from above and crash landed onto the cement floor.

Guess what folks… it was that Indian man.

Apparently, he’s climbed out of the kitchen window, thinking he could be Spiderman and made his escape from there… but he slipped and fell to the ground below.

In what way was the above story related to the article we are having now? Well… the Indian man crash landed two steps away from Bob. Bob said that he was shocked when a sudden object fell in-front of him with a sound of a skull cracking.

The moment Bob saw a body lying on the floor with blood oozing out from the man head, immediately he went into a state of Trauma… or Badi.

Bob face is all pale. He was shaking all over as if he was having ‘cold turkey’, stress, confused, scared, all at the same time. DeathScythe gave Bob a cigarette to calm down. Kearosyne then instructed Bob to go home, take a plain water, recite some prayers, wash his face with it and then take a bath.

• If you wondering what happened to the Indian man - he was sent to the hospital, in a coma.
• If you wondering what he stole - a wallet that has only $4 in it.
• If you wondering what happened to Bob - A good night rest and he’s back to his regular self.
• If you wondering what happened after that - This was mentioned on the newspaper the next day but the stupid reporter wrote Scrabbles instead of Risks. Just because of the whole mumbo jumbo terrorist everywhere, Risks can’t be mentioned on the newspaper? Get real…
  

Case #004:

Wolf ( of Skinzodesigns.com ) had the similar account as ZeeKilz and Bob… but he does not felt into a trauma state.

He’s a unique person ( sort of like DeathScythe in certain ways ) to begin with but at times, people would say he’s weird. How many people would you know or heard about that goes into an Undertaker shop that sell coffins and asked for a job there? Even insisted on them to give him the job.

As for DeathScythe, he won’t go look for a job at the coffin shop but DeathScythe do take home weird stuff like dead cat skull and cursed items from his outing as a souvenir.

Wolf said:

I was heading somewhere underneath this void deck. It was broad daylight. While walking, minding my own business, I heard a loud scream. It was followed by 3 metal sort of sound and ‘THUD!‘… a dead man a few steps away from me. A little shock to see a dead body covered with bruises and blood, but somehow was fascinated by the sound of how he felt.

It sounded like Arrgghh… Ting..Ting..Ting… THUD!

I went towards the dead body, squatted there, look at the dead body, and look up. Apparently, when he fell, he knocked himself into 3 air-con box on each floor downwards and landed in front of me.

Crowd started to gather behind me. All the nyonyas and apeks looking at the gruesome sight. I’m sure for others if they will go into a phobia state or what-so-ever, but for me… I was rather amazed cause the way this guy fell was like a pinball game.

Medical Explanations

Although there are many type of trauma states in Psychological and Medical term, like Physical trauma and Penetrating trauma… the most closest related to ‘Badi‘ is filed under Psychological/Emotional Trauma.

What is psychological or emotional trauma?

Research has revealed that emotional trauma may result from such common occurrences. Example to them would be an auto accident, the breakup of a significant relationship, a humiliating or deeply disappointing experience, the discovery of a life-threatening illness or disabling condition, or other similar situations. Traumatizing events can take a serious emotional toll on those involved, even if the event did not cause physical damage.

Regardless of its source, an emotional trauma contains three common elements:

• it was unexpected
• the person was unprepared
• there was nothing the person could do to prevent it from happening

It is not the event that determines whether something is traumatic to someone, but the individual’s experience of the event. And it is not predictable how a given person will react to a particular event. For someone who is used to being in control of emotions and events, it may be surprising - even embarrassing - to discover that something like an accident or job loss can be so debilitating.

What causes psychological trauma?

Psychological trauma can result from events we have long recognized as traumatic, including:

• natural disasters (earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, etc.)
• physical assault, including rape, incest, molestation, domestic abuse
• serious bodily harm
• serious accidents such as automobile or other high-impact scenarios
• experiencing or witnessing horrific injury, carnage or fatalities

Other potential sources of psychological trauma are often overlooked including:

• falls or sports injuries
• surgery, particularly emergency, and especially in first 3 years of life
• serious illness, especially when accompanied by very high fever
• birth trauma
• hearing about violence to or sudden death of someone close

In addition, traumatic stress in childhood that influences the brain is caused by poor or inadequate relationship with a primary caretaker.

What if symptoms don’t go away, or appear at a later time?

Over time, even without professional treatment, symptoms of an emotional trauma generally subside, and normal daily functioning gradually returns. However, even after time has passed, sometimes the symptoms don’t go away. Or they may appear to be gone, but surface again in another stressful situation.

When a person’s daily life functioning or life choices continue to be affected, a post-traumatic stress disorder may be the problem, requiring professional assistance.

What about the information based on custom beliefs?

Before we start, please do take note that the information below are based on custom belief. There is no confirmation if it was true or what-so-ever. We only state out the fact and any linkage which related to the current topic.

A few days before this article was released as a special compilation with 4Bia and I ain’t the middle man by PonyGirl, we did asked around with our associates and the ‘internet people’ regarding the current topic.

The question asked was -

“u ever heard of when let say you walk underneath void deck, then if you saw people suicide, fall infront of you… when u like you look eye to eye with the dead guy, consider you kena like phobia thing until the spirit also ask u to jump down and kill urself? heard of such belief or superstition before?”

and the information we have are…

Quoted by Dman ( Drifters )

Badi is like when you say someone kill himself in front of you, and it’s the first time you’ve encounter or seen such thing… you will have problem for a while cause in your mind, all you can ever think of is that accident. But I never heard about the ghost come haunt you, slowly dragging you to kill yourself. By logic on how people behave, if they can’t cope with stuff like this… death is the only options.

What was said above was apparently similar to the Medical Explanation. But the below story has a relation to something freaky.

Story based from a relative experience by Khidir ( Team TKCK )

Badi means hysterically afraid - the fear ate you up. I’ve not really heard about the ‘dead will drag you to hell with em’. Although, my uncle fell into badi before in 1987.

I was 5 then. My uncle was about 22 years of age at that time. He stayed with me and my family at block 5 in Bukit Merah ( Red Hill ) when he witness someone hung himself right outside my house on a pedestrian bridge. Although the blocks and that bridge is no more due to redevelopment project. Last time it was a ‘rental’ type blocks. Now it’s just point blocks.

Anyway, it began one night. He was on the way home… probably from work. And he witness the ’suicide’ in motion. It was an Indian man. He jumped off the bridge with rafia string tied to his neck.

CRAAACK!

A broken neck and he’s dead. My uncle immediately called the police. But after that… at later night… his horror began.

If i remembered it correctly… he was trying to sleep but he started feeling very cold and uneasy then. His hair stands all of a sudden. I don’t know if he was really asleep or hallucinating though.

He said that the walls were a see-through… transparent. Then he saw the dead guy from a distance away walking towards him. It peered through the walls… just staring at him with a very bruised neck, walking closer and closer.

For 3 days, he did not really sleep… and my dad actually accompany him to sleep. After the third days,  another uncle of mine came to my house. He brought my uncle to place where he witness the suicide. Then directly under the bridge, my uncle was given a cold bath. But not with just normal tap water. He was given a bath with rice water instead.

Then, my uncle was instructed to do Sunaat prayers back at home. Next day, everything was back to normal since.

An interesting story indeed. As was highlighted in red under Medical Explanation, Khidir uncle got into a state of trauma after witness a suicide… and the spooky aftermath was not through an ‘eye to eye’ contact.

The rice water that was given as a bath, we’ll covered that in the future article. Until then, let it be a mystery to you.

Back to our mission of rounding up all linkage information, at time… we went into IRC channels to ask questions. IRC is not a best option for us to query information cause there’s only 1% possibility that people will reply you seriously. But since it’s the only chat software around that has lots of people, we always try our luck.

In one particular chat room, a chatter by the nick YisSpRide gave us a little help on the information that we seek. Well.. it might be a little but it’s a great deal for us.

The details below had to be revised… but you can download the raw conversation if you want to read it.

Quoted by YisSpRide

Erm… should be.

I can roughly tell you something about it but not sure if really help.

For some Chinese people, they don’t like to see corpse. Especially those whom committed suicide. The dead eyes might not be closed and the elderly are afraid that the ‘ghost’ might follow them back home, believed that it might used them for revenge.

They also say that it’s bad luck. Why? Because you’ve witnessed the death.

Then, there are sayings that when the coffin van is moving towards the place where they cremated the body, never ever stand behind the shadow cause they are afraid that the soul might fellow them too.

These are all sayings. Of course, I’m not sure if there are any prove to it.

If you notice the above highlighted in RED… this was surprising lead. It might not be a direct connection to the phrase “if someone suicide, you witness it, look eye to eye… the ghost of the dead will drag you to hell with em” which was written in the beginning but it does has some reassemble.

So now the final question lies, “what is up with the eyes thingy?”

This was then lead to another part of our research.

Zackwise was browsing through Chinese search engine when he came across this link ( content is in Chinese ). It linked to a murder case… and in it, a phrase which is traditional which means dead man’s eyes capture photos.

Well, I am still looking any superstition on it, but from the murder case, the murderer said the reason he burnt the body twice is because he heard people said that the dead person’s eye will capture the image the last thing or person he or she see.

As above quoted, this was what is on the report:

When Zhang was asked about why stealing the tricycle. He said he wanted to sell it to get his money back from the alcohol etc that he treated Lu. And his reason for burning the bodies after the murders is because he heard that “dead man’s eyes take picture of the last seen person”. He wanted to escape from the law, hence he burnt the bodies.

Replacement in the limbo world?

Alright, from here on we already know from above that is is a sort of linkage in our current topic.

If the belief of such “If you see a dead body eye to eye, the ghost will drag you to hell” really existed, as usual, the topic end up to a big WHY?

We are certain you guys (and girls) out there heard of “If someone suicide, their soul will not rest in peace and they will be stuck in an warp zone, continuously commits suicide till Armageddon”. This warp zone is what we defined as a “Limbo world”. It’s neither the afterlife dimension nor world of the living… in-between… get it?

This is just a theory and it’s unproven.

When a spirit stuck in Limbo, perhaps the ‘eye-to-eye’ topic is a certain way which they can find their replacement? Maybe… maybe not.

Conclusion

Well… that’s it.

Although there was no evidence to fact if was true or not, at least we had covered the basic theory of trauma and uncovered the linkage in the ‘eye-to-eye’ belief. In any case, this is probably the longest article entry we ever wrote and we are quite pleased with the result.

Before we end, SGFreakyLinks gratefully acknowledge the role of Www.TraumaResources.Org in providing us with information that has been used on this article entry. For a complete information on section Medical Explanation below, please proceed by clicking on this link.

SGFreakyLinks also would also like to give a big thank you to -

• Khidir of Team TKCK
• fellow chatter nicked YisSpRide from IRC #friendster channel
• Zackwise on translation of a murder case which was originally in Chinese

Until next time… cheers!