5 ways Hungry Ghost Month can interfere with your love life

Text: Denise Ngo
Photos: AP and Singapore Paranormal Investigators

In case the joss paper bins and puppet shows haven't tipped you off, the Hungry Ghost Festival started last week. According to Chinese tradition, the gates of hell are opened during the seventh month of the lunar year, meaning that during those weeks, ghosts and souls from the spiritual realm are free to roam the earth.

We're pretty well-acquainted with practices that will appease the ghosts, such as not sending out wedding invitations during the seventh month, but what happens to people who accidentally attract a bad spirit? In light of the festivities, we asked Desmond Wong, a member of the Singapore Paranormal Investigators (SPI), about some of the spookiest local haunts, as well as the ghosts he's encountered during his six years in the organization.

Suffice to say, we were totally creeped out by his tales of spirits, which he will talk more about on My Ghost Story Asia on The Biography Channel. Since the only thing more thrilling than a ghostly encounter is a whirlwind romance, we've organised Desmond's insights into a guide to keeping supernatural forces out of your love life during this especially mystical month.

To celebrate the Ghost Month, here are the top five ways that paranormal activity can interfere with your relationships: