Interesting question from a Bali traveler

Last week I was in Bali for a short escape from work & encountered something strange.

I really hope you can shed some light on this, because even after lots of searching I can’t seem to obtain much info…

During the night of the 31st (perhaps technically it would be early morning of 1st april) I was woken up by a rhythmic sound – hard to describe, but it would be closest to the sound made by shaking the bundle of dried reeds (or whatever plant – I never knew) that girls / women use to sweep the stairs or entrances to homes. It was that sort of rattling sound that went on for 2 – 3 seconds, stopped, and then started again, and then stopped… When I opened my eyes, you can imagine how dumbstruck I was when it seemed as though my room was full of people. Ok, to start with, I was staying in a villa up in some hills near Ubud. The bedroom was rather large, and I was in a four-poster bed totally draped with white mosquito netting. I was sleeping on the right of my partner, and when I woke up, I had the impression the room was filled with people moving amazingly silently in the background, as though searching for something. Right before me though, just outside the mozzie net, stood 2 men (they were all men by the way), one along the length of the bed and the other at the foot, but both very near the corner. They were dressed in typical temple wear – white shirts and yellow kain with white headscarf. Light was very dim, and the two men seemed to be holding a very very dim light, focusing their attention on my sleeping partner. I even sat up in bed, blinked my eyes, and said “what’s happening” ? but no-one paid any attention and my partner slept on. All the time, the whole scene seemed to be very light, airy, floaty, and quiet. But constantly in motion. Next thing I knew, I saw a barong like creature (all in white) floating through the net (he seemed to be ushered by the 2 men) suspending just above my sleeping partner. It was so strange – he was dancing over him, and then I lay down & tried closing my eyes because it seemed as though there was another form waiting to dance into our space but this time it was a dark form whose shape wasn’t that clear to me. I just didn’t want to see anymore & when I peeked through very slightly opened eyes, I could only make out some cloudy form in black but couldn’t ascertain if it was my imagination, shadows, or really some smokey form. I was rather scared, but took the stand of a typical nightmare – I will just surrender if it comes for me & then everything will go away.

Although I wasn’t frightened to bits, my heart was beating pretty fast, and all the time I was wondering – what is happening ? am I really seeing this ? or is it just an imagination ? I am extremely surprised that I was more puzzled than anything, although I was tremendously relieved I wasn’t sleeping alone – otherwise I really don’t know what would have happened.