Ghosts, ghouls, vampires, and other supernatural creatures have long been regarded as classic figures of the occult in human history, each embodying the fears, mysteries, and beliefs of humans. In the old ages, when science and technology were still not as prominent as now, we humans often turned to the supernatural to explain phenomena that seemed beyond our understanding. Strange illnesses, unexplainable deaths, mysterious sounds in the night, and even natural disasters were regarded as supernatural beings. If one can't find any logical answer, then they label it as supernatural. 

These entities served as a means to generalize the unknown, giving shape and form to the intangible fears that haunted the human mind.

For example, jinns, believed to be invisible beings made of fire. They were thought to inhabit the desert and were often blamed for sudden misfortunes for the travelers traveling through the desert.

Ghosts, on the other hand, represented the lingering spirits of the dead, embodying humanity's struggles with life and the afterlife. 

Ghouls are associated with graveyards and the consumption of human flesh, mirroring fears of death. 

Vampires, seductive bloodsucking monsters, symbolized the anxieties surrounding forbidden desires.

But most of these things have logical explanations, like The chupacabra, which is a legend in Latin American folklore, it means "goat-sucker" in Spanish, comes from its alleged habit of attacking livestock, particularly goats, and draining their blood through small puncture wounds. Descriptions of the chupacabra vary; it is often depicted as either a reptilian creature with spines or quills along its back or a hairless, canine-like animal. They are said to be nocturnal, stealthy, and predatory. They'd kill their prey and then blood dry it with its teeth. But in reality chupacabras are actually dogs or coyote-dog hybrids affected by mange, a disease that causes hair loss and a thick buildup of skin. Others have suggested that the chupacabra is a Xoloitzcuintli, or Mexican Hairless dog, which has large bat-like ears and a long neck.

Another example is vampire. It said that vampires are afraid of the sun and garlic. And always look pale like a dead body. But in reality it's a disease called porphyria. It is genetic blood disorders that can cause sensitivity to sunlight, pale skin, sensitivity to smell, and other symptoms that could be interpreted as vampire-like behaviors. 

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So these supernatural beings were not just products of fear but also served as tales, moral lessons, and even entertainment. They provided a framework for understanding the world and coping with the uncertainties of life. Over time, these entities became deeply ingrained in folklore, evolving with cultural shifts and continuing to capture the imagination of people across generations. You can find the same supernatural entity in various cultures, just with a little name change or change of details depending on the environment.

As a guy who is doing a master's in mathematics and living in the 21st century, I believed all these occult things were made up by our minds, like religion, to keep us in check. 

Yes, I said believed... 

As a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in mathematics and living in the golden age of science, I prided myself on being a rational, logical thinker. Numbers, equations, and proofs were my tools for understanding the world.

 I believed that all so-called occult phenomena—ghosts, cryptids, UFOs, spirits, and even religion—were nothing more than constructs of the human mind, created to provide comfort or control over the chaos of existence. To me, they were modern myths, no different from ancient gods or legends, designed to keep humanity in check. 

I openly mocked the idea of anything supernatural. Like magic, people who claimed they had seen ghosts or UFOs, and religious people preaching miracles—none of it held any weight for me. I saw myself as above such beliefs, standing firmly on the foundation of science and reason. 

My friends often teased me about my skepticism. They’d share ghost stories or tales of haunted houses, hoping to get a reaction. I’d laugh, roll my eyes, and counter their stories with logical explanations. "It’s just pareidolia," I’d say when they described seeing faces in the dark. "Confirmation bias," I’d argue, when they claimed a psychic predicted their future. I was the guy who could take the magic out of any story, and I wore that badge proudly.

I thought most of the people who have these types of tales are mentally disturbed or coping with emotions.

And then, things started happening to me that were beyond logical.

That day shattered the carefully constructed world I had built around myself. It wasn't just a fleeting encounter or a misunderstanding; it was a mental disorder. What I experienced defied all the logic and reason I had so stubbornly clung to. It wasn’t something I could dismiss as coincidence or delusion. This wasn’t a ghost story told by someone’s grandmother, nor a blurry photograph of a UFO on the internet. It was real, undeniable, and utterly terrifying. 

The encounter turned my beliefs upside down and sent me spiraling into questions I had never imagined asking. Was everything I had dismissed as superstition or fantasy actually rooted in some deeper truth? Was the universe far stranger than I had ever allowed myself to consider? 

I don’t know if I’ll ever fully understand. But I do know one thing: the world is not as simple or rational as I once believed. Sometimes, the very things we dismiss as impossible come knocking on the door of reality. And when they do, they leave us forever changed.