According to Jewish folklore, a dybbuk is a ghost or disturbed soul that possesses the body of a living being. In early biblical and Talmudic accounts they are called "ruchim," which means "spirits" in Hebrew. During the 16th century spirits became known as "dybbuks," which means "clinging spirit" in Yiddish. There are numerous stories about dybbuks in Jewish folklore, each with its own take on the characteristics of a dybbuk. As a result, the specifics of what a dybbuk is, how it is created, etc, vary. This article highlights characteristics that are common to many (though not all) of the stories



told about dybbuks. In many stories a dybbuk is portrayed as a disembodied spirit. It is the soul of someone who has died but is unable to move on for one of many reasons. In stories that assume there is an afterlife where the wicked are punished, the dybbuk will sometimes be described as a sinner who is seeking refuge from the punishments of the afterlife. A variation on this theme deals with a soul that has suffered "karet," which means that it has been cut off from God because of evil deeds the person did during their life. Yet other tales portray dybbuks as spirits that have unfinished business among the living. Many stories about dybbuks maintain that because spirits are housed inside bodies, wandering spirits must possess a living thing. In some cases this can be a blade of grass or an animal, though frequently a person is the dybbuk's preferred choice. The people most often portrayed as being susceptible to possession are women and those living in homes with neglected mezuzot.

The stories interpret the neglected mezuzah as an indication that the people in the home are not very spiritual. In some cases a spirit that hasn't left this world is not called a dybbuk. If the spirit was a righteous person who is lingering to serve as a guide to the living, the spirit is called a "maggid." If the spirit belonged to a righteous ancestor, it is called an "ibbur." The difference between a dybbuk, maggid and ibbur is really in how the spirit acts in the story. How to Get Rid of a Dybbuk There are probably as many different ways to exorcise a dybbuk as there are stories about them. The ultimate goal of an exorcism is to release the body of the possessed person and to release the dybbuk from its wanderings. In most stories, a pious man must perform the exorcism. Sometimes he will be assisted by a maggid (beneficent spirit) or an angel.

The dybbuk box, or dibbuk box (Hebrew: קופסאת דיבוק, Kufsat Dibbuk), is a wine cabinet which is said to be haunted by a dybbuk. A dybbuk is a restless, usually malicious, spirit believed to be able to haunt and even possess the living. The box achieved recognition when it was auctioned on eBay with an accompanying horror story written by Kevin Mannis, and is the original inspiration for the 2012 film The Possession.

About a year ago, some family members were visiting from Monterrey, Mexico, and as we were done eating, conversation started about ghosts and aliens. My aunt from Mexico was telling us how my nine-year-old niece would see an old lady by the fireplace for years until they left that house.

This happened many years ago when I was a little girl. I need to explain a little before I get to the actual phenomena. I grew up in a small farming town roughly one hour's drive from Monterrey in northern Mexico. My father was an orange farmer and this is where I spent my years before schooling. Because my father worked very long days, I was looked after by my grandmother. She would teach me to read, tie laces, make things, etc. But my endearing memory of her was the stories she told She always told me never to stray from the farm and never, ever play in the hills above the farm. She would never explain why, but the local stories told that a number of kids had gone out playing there and had not returned. I always figured it was to warn me (and other kids) away because there are hidden caves and the ground can open up without warning (earthquakes often revealed hidden caves).