# The bottle ghost

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Analogy
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-bottle-ghost
- Themes: alcohol, precepts, humour
- Life situations: drinking, addiction, persuading others not to drink

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Told in Asia, where people fear ghosts: the most dangerous ghost in the world, one he has seen many times. It possesses people — they speak strangely, can't walk straight, act like different characters, and some are killed. It lives in bottles of whiskey and rum and possesses you as soon as you take the top off. That's why they're called spirits.

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

I like telling the story of the bottle ghost. I get really serious because it's one of the most dangerous ghosts in the whole world. And I like many people say they don't believe in ghosts. But there's evidence for this ghost. I've actually I've Okay. I've seen it myself many times and I've seen what it what it does to people. You know, it it actually possesses people, the bottle ghost. And they they they don't act in the normal way. They're they're strange. You know, they they don't speak in the normal way. They don't even walk in the They don't act in the normal way at all. They're totally different characters. And I've even seen this ghost possess people. It's no exaggeration. I've seen them get killed. It's that dangerous a ghost. And so, I warn people and listen, my honesty is there. This bottle ghost exists and it does possess people and it does kill them as well. And people are actually very impressed cuz, you know, I don't exaggerate. I don't tell lies. And that bottle ghost, I explain what it really is. It lives in bottles of whiskey, rum, and other things cuz as soon as you take the bottle the top off, you get possessed. And you speak in very strange ways and you can't even walk in a straight line and you do really weird things and sometimes you kill yourself in an accident. It's called a bottle ghost. That's actually why we call these things spirits. Have you ever wondered why they call it spirits? It's the bottle ghost. But it is true. It does kill you.

## Teaching point

Alcohol really does 'possess' and can kill; use people's fear of ghosts to remember it.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

Ajahn Brahm swears he has seen the world's most dangerous ghost possess people: they slur, stagger, turn into someone else, and sometimes die. It lives in bottles; that's why they're called spirits. If you drink for courage, try instead being less critical of yourself and others. Then you can have a go, sober, and learn from failing.

## Source

- [Sex and Booze | Ajahn Brahm | 01-07-2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKQfkUXfx4Y) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 33:52 to 35:42: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKQfkUXfx4Y&t=2032s

Other tellings of this story:

- [New Year's Eve quiz night | Ajahn Brahm | 31 December 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEqrvAbjo7g) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 15:18 to 16:10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEqrvAbjo7g&t=918s