A Nightmare: When Superstition and Myth Become Reality

Mystical logic—superstition—woven into traditional belief systems is often cited as a key reason why a nation fails to progress. That was once said by a prominent historical figure in my country. After tracing his life story, I learned that he had studied in a European nation long before my own country even came into existence.

But I won’t dwell on his identity here. Nor his motives. Nor any conspiracy theories. In the context I want to explore, myths spark curiosity and often inspire thousands of horror films. More than that, they reflect a community’s collective anxieties—fears of things they hope will never come to pass.

When modern society came to recognize the Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) as the world’s largest freshwater fish—especially after one was famously caught in Thailand in 2005—local belief communities living along the river in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia had long regarded it as sacred. They treated it as a holy creature.

When a Thai director won the Palme d’Or for the indie film Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010), inspired by the existence of this giant catfish, it turned out that ancient cave dwellers in Thailand had already immortalized the fish in cave paintings over 3,000 years ago.

The Mekong River has long united the communities along its banks through their shared respect and gratitude for water and nature. They believed the giant catfish to be the embodiment of a guardian spirit of the river—something to be honored, never captured. Offerings were made not only as a gesture of gratitude to the water source, but also to the giant catfish themselves, thanking them for protecting the river.

Naturally, myths were created to ensure future generations would never dare catch the sacred fish. Stories of disaster awaited anyone who broke the taboo.

Because the region was fertile and rich in natural resources, outsiders from other continents were drawn to exploit it. In return, they introduced knowledge and culture that promised freedom from what they framed as irrational constraints. The people of the Mekong basin engaged with these “new” ideas and were suddenly led to believe that their ancestors had misled them all along. 

Illustration: Pura Tirta Empul, Bali. 

When the River’s Guardian Was Erased

What began as a desire for recognition and validation turned into disaster once news of the sacred fish being caught spread worldwide. Local communities began racing to capture it, newly convinced that the fish was not as powerful as their ancestors had claimed.

Gradually, the population of the Mekong giant catfish declined.

Alongside this decline, locals also witnessed a drop in other fish populations—even though the Mekong River itself still had better water quality than many cities in Southeast Asia (including my own).

Research later revealed that this so-called “herbivorous ghost” had played a crucial ecological role. It helped clean the river by consuming decaying organic matter on the riverbed. Without it, the bottom of the Mekong turned into an overgrowth of algae that depleted oxygen for other aquatic life.

The river’s guardian had been eliminated—by humans who misunderstood the nature of its “power.”

A “Nightmare” or Mere Coincidence?

Long ago, when the Mekong ecosystem was still untouched by human greed, the giant catfish migrated from Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia to the Mekong River at the start of the rainy season. They swam up to five kilometers a day, passing Phnom Penh and deep pools, heading toward the Thailand–Laos border to spawn.

After hatching, their larvae would drift with the Mekong’s rising currents back to Cambodia’s swamp forests, where they would grow and eventually repeat the cycle.

As this natural cycle came to a halt, the world began to see Cambodia gain a darker reputation—as a hub for large-scale scams. A place where thousands of young people from neighboring countries travel in search of work, some never returning.

At the same time, Cambodia and Thailand found themselves in conflict over disputes shaped by outside influences. Laos, caught in between, was forced to take sides, straining its position with Cambodia. Meanwhile, Thailand faced mounting problems driven by overtourism. (dswas).