Yesterday I was asked, as a scientist and field ecologist if I believed in spirits in the forest. I replied, "Definitely, there's a lot of weird shit that goes on in rainforests." It isn't just me, all my colleagues have similar experiences.
When I train new students, I always make it a point to tell them about the 'adat' or taboos whenever entering the forest. You are entering someone's house, so you better behave. A forest must be respected, otherwise it plays tricks on your mind.
We don't often talk about all this spirit business to our western colleagues, they often dismiss it as native superstitions.
But among fellow Southeast Asians and West Africans (unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to ask the South Americans this), we have plenty of stories about the ghosts, spirits and taboos of the rainforest.
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